Read/Say Reading and saying Do encourages children Learning by doing to involve in every enhances the capacity activity taken in the of conceptual class understanding. TEACHING MANUAL FOR NUMERACY Write SOLVE Writing always Take time to think reinforces what they about the operations learn by doing reading and the steps to find and listening an answer TEACHING MANUAL FOR NUMERACY This manual is compiled for the Targeted Instruction in Sierra Leone (TISL) project Table of Contents Difficulties Faced While Learning Math 4 Learning Capabilities 5 Investing Students 6 Classroom Groupings Strategies 7 Partner Work 8 Using The Teaching And Learning Materials 9 Learning Steps By Module 12 Section Descriptions 13 How To Use This Manual 13 Sample Exercise Book 14 LEARNING NUMBERS Number Recognition 1-99 17 Learning Large Numbers 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 22 OPERATIONS Addition 28 Subtraction 34 Multiplication 39 Division 44 DIFFICULTIES FACED WHILE LEARNING MATH This page wil help you anticipate the difficulties pupils might face in order for you to address them in your lesson Number Concepts: If there is a lack of a basic understanding of numbers, over a period of time the fear of maths Basic Operations: increases. The following are common difficulties Children are not clear about how to present the that are addressed in our lessons. problem in mathematical form. Sometimes children get confused with mathematical terms and their meaning in Number Concept: Rote learning is a good strategy for everyday language. Place value confusion means that they remembering formulas and tables, but explaining how they have problems in deciding where to start addition-subtraction are formed can be difficult. It can be understood easily by using operations, where to write answers or where to borrow the practical knowledge. This helps children to overcome problems numbers. with abstract presentation. Common problems with number concepts include follows: It is important that children understand the concepts • Identifying: finding or writing numbers randomly is difficult. behind doing the operations and that they connect these • Reversal: children get confused while writing two concepts with the metathetical vocabulary. When this or more than two digit numbers. They don’t is done then they can do rote memorization to help understand place value. For example, not with mental math skills. knowing the difference between 23 and 32 or writing 23 when 32 is said. 1 LEARNING CAPABILITIES Learning math is a combination of listening, reading, saying, doing, writing and solving. Reading more Do Read/Say Learning by doing Reading and saying enhances the capacity encourages children of conceptual to involve in every understanding. activity taken in the class Know SOLVE Write Take time to think Writing always about the operations reinforces what they and the steps to find learn by doing reading an answer and listening 2 1. Create a Class identity 2. Develop Class Culture • Create a poem, song or chant that your • Identity: Give your class a name that pupils can recite at the beginning of class, as allows them to aspire to certain they get into groups or as they are finishing attributes. the day. For example: We are the warriors. For Example: Good better best, today I did Warriors are fearless and always try. not rest, I know my good got better and my Todays lesson may seem difficult, better will impress. but remember that as warriors, we will not be defeated. We will move 3. Anchor Learning in Goals? ahead until we win. INVESTING • The BIG GOAL: Tell pupils why what they • Attention grabber: Create a word or are learning is important in their personal phrase that could be used as a call development. Make sure to relate this For and response for when you want to STUDENTS example: The big goal of module 1 literacy wrap up an activity, or to address The first step of ensuring pupils success is getting is for you all to be excellent readers so the class whole group. pupils excited about learning. When they like that you can read and understand words in For example call: Warriors learning, they are more likely to behave well and newspapers and books. Response: We are the Warriors! try to understand the materials. Below are some • Have pupils read the OBJECTIVES for the • Class Objects - bring in items strategies to use to get pupils excited about class each day. Ask them and/ or explain to remind pupils of the class learning and excelling. how meeting the days objectives will get personality. You can also use them them closer to their big goals for the class. to give to pupils to hold when they • Close Lessons by asking pupils what they are speaking or to use as prizes learned and why it matters to them. You can for pupils who show excellent also task them with teaching their lessons to behaviour and academic progress. a younger sibling or another relative. For example: This gold medal is a special medal and is worn by warriors. The pupils who raise their hand, pay attention and comes everyday will get the medal of honour 6 CLASSROOM GROUPINGS STRATEGIES You should use three approaches to teaching and learning literacy: whole group approach (involving the whole class), small group approach (smaller part of the class, with one leader) and individual approach (self or supervised learning, particularly, reading, writing and interpretation). Each of these approaches have their advantages and limitations, which is why you should move between the three approaches in all of your classes. WHOLE GROUP APPROACH INDIVIDUAL APPROACH SMALL GROUP APPROACH Involves the teacher giving one set of Individual approach in any teaching- instructions to the entire class. learning process is essential. It cannot be , Here the class is divided into small groups replaced by whole or small group. The Advantages: and the teacher assigns activities to each • Class management: the teacher can reach group. Group members work together to objectives achieved cannot be measured out to a large number of pupils in a limited complete the task successfully. without individual learning approach. It time. Advantages is self-learning, where pupils can learn at their own place with freedom and • Comfort level of the group: since the whole • Challenging: the small group teaching- creativity. class participates together, the shy pupils feel learning process gives pupils the more comfortable and relaxed. opportunity to be challenged. Advantages: • Kinesthetic activities: children can sing and • Comfort zone: the shy pupils get the dance together to develop their kinesthetic chance to participate actively as they feel • Pupils learn the basic skills of reading and skills. writing at their own pace. more comfortable. Examples of whole group activities: Games involving • It is important for pupils at each level of • Skills building: pupils get the opportunity learning from basic to advanced. movement, Action songs and Rhymes, Mind to emerge as leaders. Pupils help each maps other in completing the tasks and this Examples: Some of the individual learning Limitations develops their social skills like patience, approaches are completing worksheets, • More suitable for ‘average’ pupils. Above tolerance and brotherhood. average pupils find it less challenging and copying in the exercise books and writing Examples: games, activities like crossword tests. tend to get bored. While pupils lagging puzzles, riddles, etc. behind feel a bit lost because they do not keep pace with the rest of the class. Limitations: • Children repeat after the teacher Limitations: monotonously without paying attention, • Pupils with leadership qualities can • In class individual learning is limited overshadow other pupils in their group. to assessment. which results in minimum learning. • May be difficult to give all of the • Some pupils do not participate at all. • Teacher finds it difficultto manage small individual attention necessary • Individual teacher attention is not possible. groups as he/she will have to go from one to the other. 7 1. PREPARE IN ADVANCE 2. CREATE A GOOD CULTURE • Assign Partners in advance. This can be • Invest pupils in working with partners by telling done in the beginning of the year and them pupils have a special way of explaining carried throughout the year in order . things to each other, that is why you will be However, if attendance may be an issue using partner work to make sure everyone or if classes change often, assign partners understands the material at the beginning of each class and sit • Show both excellent and poor partner work by next to their partners. role-playing what it looks, sounds and feels like to give and receive ideas and criticisms. Make • Be Strategic with how you partner pupils. sure to point out how you are using positive If you know that there are ways in which language and that you are also grateful for your PARTNER WORK certain pupils might complement each partners input. Praise Given the “Classroom Grouping other or distract each other, factor this • excellent partner work often. Make sure Strategies” on the preceding page, into how you choose partners. This will to point out partners who are working well below are some pointers to help make maximize their learning without your together and what they are doing that’s praise sure that groupings and partner work direct instruction worthy. ie. “I see Esi and Mohammed are sharing are done correctly. Many times teachers their ideas and waiting for the other one to Give Roles fear partner and group work because • for small groups. If you are finish before they speak” of chaos or cheating. Using those steps doing an activity with 3 or 4 pupils per below should lessen the occurrence of group, make sure everyone understands these things. how they are expected to contribute.