At St Francis de Sales, we are committed to providing our students with an engaging, evidence-based approach to learning and teaching in Mathematics. Our Mathematics Program is consistent across the school and is underpinned by the MACS Vision for Instruction, the Victorian Curriculum Mathematics V2 and is supported by our school’s Instructional Framework.
Students develop knowledge, skills procedures and processes across six key strands:
- number
- algebra
- measurement
- space
- statistics
- probability
Mathematics builds in complexity, which means that early performance in mathematics relates to future performance.
We focus on evidence based practices that help students
Students learn what quantities and numbers mean and how to represent them with objects and numerals.
With addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Students understand mathematics concepts, the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of mathematics in combination with procedures and rules.
Students are encouraged to use correct mathematics language when verbalising explanations and steps for solving problems
Explicit instruction is used when introducing new mathematics content with gradually release of responsibility to students. Mathematical processes and problems are modelled step-by-step with guided practice leading to opportunities for independent practice with teacher feedback. Students are given opportunities to explain their work and thinking in oral and written forms.
Problem-solving and reasoning strategies are explicitly taught so that students learn how to read problems and organise work according to the structure of the problem.
Students use hands-on materials and visual representations to show concepts and procedures as they move through the phases of learning from visual to abstract representation.