Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion at Year 5
This file, written by Fran Moseley and Penny Latham, is one of the Beam Education series Successful Learning: Successful Teaching which cover years 3 to 6. Recent reports from Ofsted note that many teachers do not have the confidence or knowledge to teach mathematics to a suitable standard. These files provide teachers with a means of keeping core skills up to date as well as giving information about techniques and pedagogy.
The extremely useful and easy to read first section of the file explains the philosophy behind the series, of children as active learners, showing ways that established research can be turned into practical situations in the classroom and in this case referring specifically to the area of fractions, decimals, percentages ratio and proportion. In addition, ideas are given for ensuring whole class participation in talking maths from the well known like “tell your partner” to the more unusual “solver and recorder”, “lucky dip” and “goldfish bowl”.
As is to be expected with any material from Beam, the structure of the lessons is well organized and easy to access: 24 lessons based on problem solving and centered on thinking, offering a range of starters, with visual, aural and kinesthetic opportunities throughout. Each lesson stands alone but there is progression through each section so the user can select his / her own route to suit the class. Assessment questions are given based on the lesson but also giving ideas for assessing children whose ideas have gone beyond the basics of the lesson. Differentiation and mixed age classes are all catered for with support and extension activities suggested. Practice games and activities provide consolidation and can be given for homework. In the margin around each double page, learning objectives, key ideas, resources and words and phrases are easily accessible.
However, to my mind, where this file of activities really hits the mark and offers more than other material on the market, is in the commentaries given after each section of the lesson. This provides the teacher with a commentary on the text in the form of a master class, looking at “why” as well as “what”. They cover the mathematics, pedagogical issues based on research findings about how children learn, teaching techniques and ways to differentiate the activity to suit different children. For example, after the introduction of a lesson on ratio – “Balloon Bargains” the commentary informs the teacher that “ as adults we use this method of finding the unit price without thinking about the mathematics. In fact, we are instinctively treating the problem as one of ratio and are using division and multiplication to find the price per unit, so that we can compare like with like.”
Such additions to the lesson plan, as well as being very informative, will help the non- specialist in particular to develop more confidence in their maths teaching.
This file shows you what to teach, how to teach it and why. I am hooked and avidly await the publication of more of the series.
Paula Ross, deputy headteacher at Marlborough school, Falmouth
Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion at Year 5
Fran Moseley and Penny Latham
Beam Education Series Successful Learning: Successful Teaching
ISBN 1 903142 3 50
