Sharon Day - AIM High Maths

Sharon Day

AIM High Maths

Summary

Age range KS1 and KS2
Books No
DBS Checked Yes, enhanced

Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk

Sharon Day taught in the classroom for over 20 years and then worked as a local authority consultant before embarking on her current role as a freelance mathematics consultant for the primary sector .

About Sharon
Sharon has a wealth of experience to share and a passion for making mathematics a subject that children get excited about!

Sharon’s AIM High Maths Days

Sharon’s sessions begin with everyone considering what it means to be a mathematician, and discussing the phrase ‘A mathematician is a seeker of patterns.’

Sharon develops her days using the criteria from the National Centre for Excellence Teaching Mathematics (NCETM) which says that ‘Developing mastery with greater depth is characterised by pupils’ ability to:

•  solve problems of greater complexity (i.e. where the approach is not immediately obvious), demonstrating creativity and imagination;

•  independently explore and investigate mathematical contexts and structures, communicate results clearly and systematically explain and generalise the mathematics.’

KS1 AIM High Day

The group practises the skill of noticing what is the same and what is different about two, three and four items, drawing out mathematical language structures as they progress. This moves onto considering how mathematicians like to sort numbers to properties and then all pursue an investigation around odd and even numbers.

Use of a tally involves looking at the number of letters in the first name of everyone and discussing if there are any relationships that can be noticed i.e. the number of people with seven letters in their name might be seven of them, etc. again practising how to speak like a mathematician.

This moves on to an investigation where the groups work out how any different words we say when counting from one to one hundred which then progresses onto looking at how we write numbers in Y figures and which digits are written using straight lines, such as 1 and 7 and which curved lines, such as 8 and 0, and which need both straight and curved lines such as 2 and 5.

From that, everyone considers what happens we add one (and take one away) from a number, focusing on ideas such as odd number plus one results in an even number as well as considering one more than a number that ends in a nine and one less than a multiple of ten.

The pupils then play a game that uses dice, called ‘the grid game’. This starts by reviewing one more than any single digit number, doubles facts and bonds of ten. The pupils then play the game in pairs to add three single digit numbers. They keep score using tallies.

The next task promotes spatial reasoning and is using tangram sets to create images. This progresses to considering what a square is and then investgating how many different squares can be made using the pieces of the tangram set.

All then consider 3D shapes that have at least one square face., then look at other solid shapes that have faces which are rectangles and triangles. The pupils then investigate 3D shapes where there no curved surfaces (i.e. no sphere, cone or cylinder in the set they are looking at) and we use these solid shapes to look for the number of faces in each shape and then the number of faces in two shapes where they are built together (and given names if known) i.e. cube + cube = cuboid

Lower Key Stage 2 workshops will include geometrical experiences as well as investigating general statements linked to number, with a particular focus on multiplication facts. The group will also think about recreational number theory and try to come up their own number theories to prove the findings.

UKS2 workshops will include the use of puzzles from the past, thinking about how we can use logic to ensure that we understand the strategies needed to win. The group will also look at working in different number bases other than base ten as well as looking at ancient and different number systems. Children will then invent their own number systems, sharing their ideas with each other and justifying their thinking.

Bookings
To book Sharon please contact the A.I.M. High Team
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk