Primary Teacher Article Collection

Dramatic Mathematics

Stage: 1 and 2

This article for teachers describes a project which explores thepower of storytelling to convey concepts and ideas to children.

Early Fraction Development

Stage: 1 and 2

An article describing activities that have been used in order to help the development of the concept of fractions from early on.

Easter Conference 2006

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Problems used at association conferences - Easter 2006

Educating the Very Able

Stage: 2, 3 and 4

Educating the Very Able - Current International Research - 2004

Encouraging Primary Children to Work Systematically

Stage: Early years, 1 and 2

This article for primary teachers suggests ways in which to help children become better at working systematically.

Engaging Students, Developing Confidence, Promoting Independence

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Ideas to support mathematics teachers who are committed to nurturing confident, resourceful and enthusiastic learners.

Enriching Data Handling

Stage: 1 and 2

This article for teachers looks at some suggestions taken from the NRICH website that offer a broad view of data and ask some more probing questions about it.

Enriching Patterns

Stage: 1, 2, 3 and 4

Following on from a workshop at an MA Easter conference, Jennifer and Jenni talked about the way in which the website is made more accessible to teachers who want to plan threads of activity. Here’s a pattern- based theme.

Experiencing Problem Solving

Stage: 1 and 2

Bernard Bagnall looks at what 'problem solving' might really mean in the context of primary classrooms.

Exploration Versus Calculation

Stage: 1, 2 and 3

This article, written for teachers, discusses the merits of different kinds of resources: those which involve exploration and those which centre on calculation.

Extension, Enrichment And/or Acceleration?

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

What is the classroom culture that you foster to support able learners?

From Objects and Images to Mathematical Ideas

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

This article looks at how images, concrete apparatus and representations can help students develop deeper understandings of abstract mathematical ideas.

Games Related to Nim

Stage: 1, 2, 3 and 4

This article for teachers describes several games, found on the site, all of which have a related structure that can be used to develop the skills of strategic planning.

Generating Number Patterns: an Email Conversation

Stage: 2, 3 and 4

This article for teachers describes the exchanges on an email talk list about ideas for an investigation which has the sum of the squares as its solution.

Going for Games

Stage: 1 and 2

In this article for teachers, Liz Woodham describes the criteria she uses to choose mathematical games for the classroom and shares some examples from NRICH.

Group Roles

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Here are description of the group roles used in our group worthy tasks, and others.

Group-working Skills

Stage: 1 and 2

This article for teachers suggests a range of activities to help children get better at working in groups.

Group-worthy Tasks and Their Potential to Support Children to Develop Independent Problem-solving Skills

Stage: 1 and 2

In this article for teachers, Jennie Pennant outlines how group-worthy tasks support the development of children's problem-solving skills.

I'm Stuck!

Stage: 1 and 2

Being stuck is usually thought of as being a negative state of affairs. We want our pupils to succeed, not to struggle. Or do we? This article discusses why being stuck can be fruitful.

Improving Reasoning: Analysing Alternative Approaches

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

In this article, Malcolm Swan describes a teaching approach designed to improve the quality of students' reasoning.