­ Developmental­perspectives­

Much­of­maths­is­developmental.­Some­psychologists­write­about­a­hierarchy­of­cognitive­ development,­but­some­aspects­of­development­are­more­simple­than­that­and­others­are­ more­sophisticated.­Whenever­a­teacher­or­tutor­is­working­on­a­maths­topic­the­question­ ‘What­else­are­you­teaching?’­is­very­relevant.­It­may­be­that­a­concept­is­being­introduced­ or­that­a­previously­recognised­pattern­is­being­revisited­in­a­new­form.­Each­topic­is­likely­ to­be­setting­the­groundwork­for­future­topics,­so­there­is­a­need­to­know­where­the­maths­ is­going­when­taking­the­first­steps­on­that­mathematical­journey.