Nicky

__My Goal__
**To extend my most capable children How to move to imaging easily**

__Maths Observation June 08__
Geoff determined what stage the children were at and, by using plastic teddies, was able to determine that most of the children were at the counting on stage.
 * The focus of the lesson that Geoff took was how to move children from using materials to imaging.

He did this be saying the yellow teddy in a line of teddies was number 9 and so the children who were already at counting on stage could just start from that teddy.

Getting children to verbalise what they were doing quickly showed the children's understanding.

The main thing I got from observing Geoff was that good number knowledge at this stage is crucial and in particular, understanding of 'before' and 'after' numbers.

In lessons following this observation I found that children with sound number knowledge are able to be moved along much more quickly to the imaging stage.**

__Maths Observation August 04__
**Start with division** **-** **9 beans to share between three plates -** **Is it fair? -** **How many? -** **By starting with division, it puts them into** //**equal groups**// **ready for multiplcation** **Multiplication** **-** **bringing together of equal sets -** **language ‘sets** //**of’**// **‘groups** //**of**//**’’ ‘piles** //**of’**//**’ -** **see the 3 beans but also set the 1 plate i.e what groups the separate things together?**
 * The focus of this lesson was multiplication and division.**

__Maths Observation September 14__

 * The focus of this lesson that Geoff took, was teaching subtraction to children moving from Stage 2 to Stage 3.

The important vocabulary was 'first' 'last' and 'what does the last number tell you?'

eg/ A set of bears. We are going to take away 2. Which ones do we take away? Do we have to count them all again?What does the last number tell you? Which is the last bear? eg 17-2=?**

__Fraction and Decimals October 20th__
Has been broken in to.
 * The main message I got from Geoff's session on fractions was the importance of the whole or 1, which gives fractions meaning. The bottom number in a fraction tells how many pieces the whole ( or 1 pizza, loaf of bread etc)

Can use shapes that fit other shapes, paper that can be folded up, a tower of cubes, 1 snake of beads, a cotainer with beans.

We need to build up a total language picture for children to understand fractions.

I used the pizza shapes with my Year 1 class and a long strip of paper that was a loaf of bread. The children were able to draw lines to show halves and quarters on the pizzas and up to one tenths on the loaf of bread. It was an effective way of doing fractions.**

__Geoff Observing me taking a lesson on Counting Back-2nd November__
Later got children to turn over numbers-( imaging**) **posed problems.**
 * The important phrase to use in this teaching is 'What does the last number tell you?'**
 * Used numbers to 20. Each child had a set.Started at different numbers eg/12 Removed higher numbers we didn't need.Got children to take away 4 lollies ( eat 4 lollies ) Initially some children took away 1,2,3,4 instead of 12,11,10,9. Then asked 'What does the last number tell you?

__Key Points from Geoff__

 * 1) **Number Knowledge is essential**
 * 2) **What does the last number tell you? is an important question in both in Counting on and Counting back**__**.**__
 * 3) **The Whole or One is crucial in fractions.**
 * 4) **The denominator is the describing number, tells you how many the whole has been broken in to.**
 * 5) **Need to build up a total language picture.**

__Practise__
Really focussing on number knowledge-before, after and skip-counting, basic facts to 5 and 10. Checking their knowledge is thorough before moving forward. Lots of repetition. Use of equipment and Smartboard. Use of equipment is always important and each child having their own-use of materials makes move to imaging easier.** Smartboard-Student Drive Room17
 * Use of his phrases-What does the last number tell you?

__Reflection__
Variety of activities at the strategy level is needed to consolidate Use more peer interaction in group work. Has given me confidence that I'm on the right track.**
 * Has re-affirmed for me the importance of number knowledge. Parents often say children can do harder maths equations but when check their knowledge, the depth is not there.