Sunday, September 9, 2012

Five For Five

My friend Ceri lately told me virtually something she does inwards her maths lessons. It industrial plant actually good for pupils who lack confidence inwards maths. I asked her permission to portion it here. It's uncomplicated merely effective. She calls it 'Five for Five'. I'm certain at that topographic point are teachers all over the Blue Planet doing something similar. Here's Ceri's version:

Start past times producing a laid of 5 mixed topic questions for the week. It's of import that these are tailor-made for your class. You could download something generic, merely it doesn't conduct maintain much longer to write the questions yourself i time a week. The payoff of writing the questions yourself is that yous tin conduct 5 topics that are relevant to your class, for illustration something they struggled amongst on a recent assessment, or something they learnt for the kickoff fourth dimension a few weeks ago. Writing the questions yourself likewise agency yous tin plough over the axe acquire the difficulty degree right.

Here's an illustration of a typical laid of questions:


Ceri follows the schedule described below (of course of teaching this tin live on adapted if yous don't run across the cast 5 times a week).

Monday
Ceri gives her cast the 5 questions at the start of the lesson. They conduct maintain a acquire on their own, merely Ceri knows (because she wrote the questions) that they volition struggle. Ceri as well as thus spends a adept amount of fourth dimension - one-half the lesson if necessary - going through the questions. Her pupils annotate their questions amongst detailed notes.

Tuesday
Ceri gives her cast the same 5 questions amongst dissimilar numbers. Pupils consummate the questions on their ain merely are allowed to await at their locomote from previous day. Ceri spends a shorter amount of fourth dimension going through the questions afterwards.

Wednesday
Ceri gives her cast the same 5 questions merely i time again amongst dissimilar numbers. Again, they tin advert to their notes as well as answers from the previous lesson. This is straightaway a fairly quick starter activity. Often they tin create it inwards 5 minutes ('five for 5 inwards five') merely at that topographic point is no fourth dimension limit. There's something else for pupils to acquire on amongst until everyone is ready.

Thursday
Same again. By straightaway they should live on getting them all right.

Friday
Same 5 questions, dissimilar numbers, merely this fourth dimension they start the lesson past times completing the questions on their ain in exam conditions without looking at their notes. Even without their notes, it's really probable they volition straightaway acquire them all right. 


Success is really motivating for pupils who combat inwards maths. Going from zip marks on Mon to total marks on Fri is really powerful for transforming a pupil's mental attitude as well as confidence.

Let me know if yous essay it.

Thanks to Ceri for letting me portion this!