ABSTRACT

This revised and updated third edition offers a range of strategies, activities and ideas to bring mathematics to life in the primary classroom. Taking an innovative and playful approach to maths teaching, this book promotes creativity as a key element of practice and offers ideas to help your students develop knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the subject.

In the creative classroom, mathematics becomes a tool to build confidence, develop problem solving skills and motivate children. The fresh approaches explored in this book include a range of activities such as storytelling, music and construction, elevating maths learning beyond subject knowledge itself to enable students to see mathematics in a new way.

Key chapters of this book explore:

• Learning maths outdoors - make more noise, make more mess or work on a larger scale

• Everyday maths - making sense of the numbers, patterns, shapes and measures children see around them

• Music and maths – the role of rhythm in learning, and music and pattern in maths

Stimulating, accessible and underpinned by the latest research and theory, this is essential reading for trainee and practising teachers who wish to embed creative approaches to maths teaching in their classroom.

chapter 1|15 pages

Introduction

What counts as creative mathematics?

chapter 2|15 pages

I hate maths!

Positive feelings, creative dispositions and mathematics

chapter 3|19 pages

Motivating children

Problem finding and problem solving

chapter 4|15 pages

Developing understanding

Seeing, talking and thinking mathematically

chapter 5|15 pages

Real maths!

The mathematical potential in children's lives

chapter 6|16 pages

Once upon a time

Using story to learn and teach maths

chapter 7|12 pages

Giant maths

The joy of solving enormous problems

chapter 8|16 pages

Across the curriculum

Putting mathematics at the heart

chapter 9|17 pages

Mathematical patterns

Playing music, maths and art

chapter 10|14 pages

Building mathematical understanding

Constructing and deconstructing

chapter 11|18 pages

Mathematics outdoors

The world beyond the classroom

chapter 12|9 pages

In conclusion

Playful teaching

chapter |5 pages

List of mathematical activities