Explain this
The Trouble with Maths
How the publisher describes it:
“This book offers important insights into the often confusing world of numeracy. By looking at learning difficulties in maths from several perspectives, including the language of mathematics, thinking styles and the demands of individual topics, Steve Chinn delivers a comprehensive text that will become an essential classroom companion to anyone who uses it.”
Review by Steve Bishop
In brief:
Overall, the book provides invaluable help to all those involved in the delivery and support of numeracy, be they parents, teachers, classroom assistants, SEN coordinators, learning support tutors... It may not be the last word on the subject, but it will certainly be an important first place to look.
“Different approaches in teaching the nasty topics”
Steve Chinn is the founder of Mark College in Somerset, a specialist school for dyslexics and an expert on mathematics and dyslexia. He is the author of numerous books, including Sum Hope, What to Do When You Can’t Learn the Times Tables and What to Do When You Can’t Add and Subtract. It is from this wealth of experience that Chinn draws for this A4-sized book.
‘The trouble with maths’ by Steve Chinn has just been awarded the NASEN/TES Award in the Teaching and Learning Book category.
The ten chapters and five appendices are packed with common-sense wisdom and insights. It claims to be able to be used to:
- identify a problem.
- understand possible reasons for a problem.
- pre-empt problems.
- develop flexible thinking skills.
- circumvent problems in basic numeracy.
- address the difficulties pupils have with word problems.
- teach alternative strategies for accessing basic facts.
- recognise mathematics anxiety, attributional style and self-esteem problems.
- design informal diagnostic procedures.
- extract diagnostic information from pupil’s work.
- stimulate ideas for teaching math to pupils who are facing difficulties with the subject.
Any book that can do all that is worth its weight in gold! This book provides an excellent starting point for doing all of the above.
At the end of the introductory chapter we are provided with a few golden rules:
- Don’t create anxiety.
- Experiencing success reduces anxiety.
- Experience failure increases anxiety.
- Understand your pupils as individuals.
- Teach to the individual in the group . also known as the ‘Teach more than one way to do things’ rule.
- Remember where each topic leads mathematically.
- Understanding is a more robust outcome than just recall.
- Try to understand errors . don’t just settle for ‘wrong’.
- Prevention is better than cure.
- All the above rules have exceptions.
Excellent advice, which I suspect we all know, but it’s good to be reminded of it every now and again!
The second chapter looks at factors that affect learning. What makes this chapter so valuable is that as well as analysing the problems (such as short-term memory, direction, visual, speed of working, poor recall of facts, poor reading skills, sequencing skills...) there are numerous suggestions that can help alleviate that particular problem.
The next chapter is an overview of the mathematics curriculum and examines where the difficulties may occur. Chapter 4 looks at thinking styles in mathematics, notably the contrast between the inchworm (step by step) and the grasshopper (more intuitive, holistic) approaches.
Developmental perspectives and the language of mathematics are dealt with in the next two chapters. Chapter 7 on ‘Anxiety attributions’ pulls together many of the themes in the preceding chapters and examines ways we can reduce the anxiety that is so-often associated with mathematics.
Chapter 8 provides a fascinating tour of the inconsistencies of mathematics. Mathematics supposedly one of the most logical of subjects is riddled with inconsistencies; to illustrate the point Chinn includes an extract from Mathematics Teaching 175 (175) (June 2001) 12-13, on the illogicalness of concepts associated with telling the time.
Assessment and diagnosis is covered in chapter 9. Here we have a useful checklist for standardised tests and advice on when and how often they should be used. Also examined are the reasons for testing. There is also a useful section on more informal tests using simple materials.
The final chapter deals with ‘the nasties’, long division and fractions. This chapter pulls together much of the ideas and advice given in the previous chapters and applies it to different approaches in teaching the nasty topics.
There are five appendices, which deal with further reading, resources, examples of memory cards, suggestions for an inclusion policy and criterion referenced tests.
Overall, the book provides invaluable help to all those involved in the delivery and support of numeracy, be they parents, teachers, classroom assistants, SEN coordinators, learning support tutors... It may not be the last word on the subject, but it will certainly be an important first place to look.
Steve Bishop • Mathematics lecturer, City of Bristol College
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (25 Mar 2004)
Language English
ISBN-10: 041532498X
ISBN-13: 978-0415324984
Product Dimensions: 29.6 x 21 x 1.2 cm
