Sample Maths Workshops: Addition - Counting On (Prep)

 

I recently worked with my mentor teacher at Elsternwick Primary School to implement a range of very successful Maths Workshops designed to promote Prep students' ability to 'count on' when adding collections.

 

Assessment (for, as and of learning)

 

To begin a unit I use a range of diagnostic assessment measures (including thinking procedures like spider diagrams or brainstorms) to gain an understanding of my students’ preliminary knowledge, understandings and skills. To assess Prep students’ initial use of addition strategies such as ‘counting on’, I referred to formal data from the MOI and used anecdotal evidence (including video footage) of students using manipulatives. Throughout the learning sequence, I used ongoing assessment measures to establish what and how students were learning. This involved asking probing questions during one-to-one conferencing to encourage children to verbalise their thought processes and constantly re-assessing understandings. This allowed me to plan differentiated learning tasks to support students’ individual needs and assess whether students were ‘counting on’ effectively or ‘counting all’ objects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Differentiating the learning task - not the intention

 

To support students who needed it and challenge those who were ready, I co-developed a range of open-ended mathematical tasks to promote effective addition strategies. While all students worked on the learning intention ‘We are learning to count on’, I used enabling and extending prompts to differentiate learning tasks for groups based on my prior assessments. This allowed all students to feel included in the work of the class and to experience success.

 

During one lesson, all students worked independently to add collections using manipulatives and dice. For students requiring extra support, I offered short, focussed explanations; designed two-column templates to reduce the written elements in recording; and provided covers to enable successful counting on. To challenge other students, I created three-column templates for students to add multiple collections; provided 10-sided and 12-sided dice to extend their knowledge; and encouraged students to interact with peers to explain and justify their strategies. I also challenged students to effectively count on by sharing a video of one student articulating counting on from the higher number during the summary phase of the lesson. This reinforced the learning intention and enabled peer scaffolding. In the following lessons, I revised groupings to allow students to work within their ZPD and consolidate understandings. These understandings were reinforced by home-school partnerships.