In this article, the authors from Monash University and the University of Sydney have collaborated to present a research-informed model to support the planning and teaching of mathematics, using a student centred structured inquiry approach.

The fear of making mistakes and avoidance of risks can create disabling anxiety and limit learning opportunities. However, it is possible to teach mathematics in ways that not only reduce student agency but also have the effect of excluding some students. This article proposes approaches that are intended to both foster student decision making and…

The authors describe a mathematics lesson designed to allow students to use their own thinking to solve elapsed time problems. Their approach emphasises student-centered structured inquiry, and follows a 'Launch, Explore and Summarise' format.

This article reports on a project which involved introducing challenging tasks in the early years' classrooms of twenty Victorian primary schools. The obstacles teachers encountered and how they overcame those obstacles are discussed.

In this article, the authors emphasise the importance of purposeful mathematical discussion and using sequences of connected, cumulative, and challenging tasks in advancing students' spatial reasoning in the early years of schooling.

This article describes some aspects of Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development. It highlights the importance of giving young children specific access to explore conservation in measurement, which will give students invaluable experiences in measurement that in years to come will be regarded as their prior knowledge of the concept. This is…

Number sense has been recognised as central to young children's development of mathematics for a number of decades. A student with a "good" sense of number normally has a thorough understanding of relationships among numbers and operations--being able flexibly to partition and combine numbers in convenient ways to allow appropriate…

Drawing upon research, theory, classroom and personal experiences, this paper focuses on the development of primary-aged children's computational fluency. It emphasises the critical links between number sense and a child's ability to perform mental and written computation. The case of multi-digit multiplication is used to illustrate these…

This article presents several tips that teachers can use to teach children about time. One activity, investigating 24-hour time, aims to familiarise upper primary students with converting a.m. and p.m. notations to 24-hour time. Another activity requires students to construct a calendar month in order to familiarize themselves with the components…

Three activities are presented that are designed to develop an understanding of equivalence. Equivalent fractions have the same value, but may be expressed with a different denominator or different notation. "Decimal Fraction Dominoes" focuses on the equivalence of commonly occurring fractions, decimal fractions, percentages and their…

Describes a classroom-based model for professional development that allows teachers to gain further insight into matching learning experiences with a child's potential. (ASK)

Estimation is an important skill for everyday living. Good estimators usually have a sound knowledge of basic facts, understand place value and use a variety of strategies to make their estimates. This paper describes an activity which is designed to provide students with opportunities to practice their rounding strategies with addition and…