Val Pritchard, AC for Hertfordshire
Our latest teacher network meeting in Central Hertfordshire was extremely well attended as we discussed the topic of supporting students with weaker mathematical ability. It was obviously an issue that struck a chord. Those who attended had used many strategies and there was a whole raft of ideas exchanged. One key quote rang true – “Don’t just practice until you can get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong”.
We debated in particular how to help students with fundamental flaws in their algebraic foundations. Our list of suggested resources included Headstart CGP booklet, MyMaths, Maths workout, Hegarty Maths, Tiny Cards, MadasMaths Basic skills, CIMT Step up to A level, Seneca, Resoureaholic, GeoGebra.
Quotes from the day:
- “There were ideas to take back to school to help get students back on track.”
- “It was helpful to analyse and think how to counter common mistakes.”
- “It was very useful to compare with others and consider how much effort should come from the student and how much from the teacher.”
- “Helpful to see how schools can use Dr Frost materials”