For many years we’ve used the Maths Online Interview to assess students. Each time I complete the interview Im reminded of how rich the interview is not just in terms of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers but in the way in which the interview reveals so much more about what the child is thinking, doing and not doing. We’ve been working hard this year to use this information more effectively in our classrooms and across cohorts of students. We’ve introduced an ‘hour of counting’ lesson each week and seen our counting results in MOI grow dramatically. The hour of counting incorporates a range of learning activities and we try and integrate it with our Curiosity Unit or other aspects of mathematics where it fits. Sometimes we just count! We’ve loved a game called ‘Chicken Scramble’ from Scaffolding Numeracy in the Middle Years. These resources called SINE from Catholic Education Office and resources from Kathy Palmer have all been instrumental in helping us to really target the point of need for students within the Growth Points of MOI.
Scaffolding Numeracy in the Middle Years (SNMY) is a program we run here also which has been fantastic for helping those students still struggling with early numeracy concepts, when they themselves are no longer in the early years of schooling. Chicken Scramble comes from there. Although it is from SNMY the concepts behind the game are just as pertinent and important for our younger students. This game probably has lots of names but regardless of its name the children LOVE it!
Elicia Briggs