Mathematics at St Columba's seeks to give students an opportunity to make sense of the world we live in. We believe that through the language and skills of mathematics students will come to use this domain as a way to inquire into the world. The focus is on developing understanding rather than just memorising a set of numbers and figures. At our school, we have high expectations that students will experience success across the domains of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability.
Numeracy
At St Columba's we focus on:
- Hands-on experiential learning in the junior school
- Using manipulatives to make Mathematics accessible and relatable to students
- Real-life problem solving
- Pre and post assessment to ensure teaching at the point of need
- Allowing students and teachers to participate in rich discussions around mathematical language and understandings
- Development of a growth mindset
- Working with small groups, targeting intervention and extension
- Opportunities to develop sophisticated and refined mathematical thinking skills; including regular opportunities for students to reflect on their learning and discover their own errors
Formal and informal assessments are key to assisting students' progress. At St Columba's the Learning Diversity, Differentiation Support Teachers and Learning Support Officers work alongside classroom teachers during numeracy sessions to provide targeted small group and individual instruction as needed.
