Maths with Ben: Enrichment Activities
<< An ATM publicationThis book was put together as a set of ideas that could be used for able year 5 and 6 pupils as enrichment activities to offer a broader experience of mathematics rather than a narrow forge to year 7 or 8 work. Naturally, these ideas could be easily used with all key stage three and even as starting points for key stage 4 students in secondary school. This book offers 32 ideas, therefore, for anyone to use to explore the mathematics underlying some of the ‘tricks’ and formulae taught in the classroom.
This book is indeed a collection of enrichment activities. Perhaps many already known to you, they are certainly not all new ideas, but a very useful selection that can be used with primary as well as secondary children. As a primary teacher, I am always looking for good ideas to offer those keen mathematicians in the primary classroom and as I am sure you are aware, there are far more primary mathematics resource books available to purchase in the bookshop than key stage three resources, so I was delighted to see this collection in one book for me.
The pages are divided into two columns which can be photocopied. Column one describes what resources you need for the activity (pupil’s side) and what the activity is. There are simple diagrams to help visualise particular questions and there is a clear progression of questions running down the page. They are not numbered but they are there to take the pupils one step further by offering other perspectives and prompting the pupil to prove and justify their answers. Column two is the Teacher’s Notes which can be cut off and kept in a separate file. This offers the teacher hints and solutions to the question(s) which will guide and support them appropriately.
This book is a must for all key stage three teachers and key stage two teachers alike. Parents who enjoy working on mathematical problems with their children might also like it too, especially if all they have worked on are the Dorling Kindersley: Carol Vorderman range, what a contrast and enlightening experience this book will offer them.
Some of the activities, like the ‘Triangular Arithmagons’ on page 9 for example, have very accessible starting points. I have offered my year twos this sort of problem in the past, there are then clear progressive steps as the problem can be presented in a more challenging manner, in this case offering the answers rather than questions, and then moving onto fractions. This will certainly help the less confident teachers who were unsure how they might develop an idea for those children able to pursue it. This particular question moves into algebraic solutions for the teacher to follow on with and then offers harder problems related to this starting point. Although one might think these ideas are old hat, I would argue that it is the starting point that is familiar, and that is helpful, but also the progression clearly offered gives a teacher the option to follow through, teach the next level assess children’s problem solving skills in a most revealing and effective manner. The structure of these activities reinforces the message of the ‘New Numeracy Framework’ from the Primary National Strategy, which emphasises this type of approach in the classroom. How could you go wrong?
I would have liked, however, a CD Rom with the questions for pupils on. This would have given me the opportunity to work with a whole class or large group, rather than photocopying and laminating sheets onto card. However, I would probably have done this anyway; it is always helpful to have a set of problem cards available at your disposal.
To summarise: Did I like this book? Absolutely, there is nothing to dislike.
Would I recommend this book to you? Yes strongly.
Would I purchase it myself? Yes, already got it and using it. Thank you again ATM.
Judy Sayers, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education • The University of Northampton
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