NCETM ESOL/Maths Focus Group - July 2008 Resources/Action Plan (Summary of what everyone plans to do)
Using resources with ESOL Maths learners
Name/Organisation / Resource name/description / What aspect of maths is this resource to be used for? Please include curriculum reference. / How will it benefit ESOL learners? / How did it go?Elaine M. Smith –
APEX / Number
Scrabble / Checking basic Maths knowledge and underpinning skills
(N1/E3.1 – 6) / Takes their Maths skills out of the worksheet ‘comfort zone’. Works on mental arithmetic ability. / On the first trial we found we had not produced enough numbers and symbols so this was corrected for the second attempt. Most ESOL learners are good at dealing with numbers so they felt comfortable with this task, but it took them away from the traditional worksheet and introduced them to card matching tasks which I want to introduce soon from the Maths4life files.
Elaine M. Smith –
APEX / Percentages, decimals and fractions, card matching task. / To be able to convert freely between %, decimals and fractions. To see the equivalents, to be able order all the above?
(N2/E3.1 – 2) / Confidence with fractions decimals and percentages
Working out discounts on items, VAT rates, working out salary deductions etc. / This task went well, and caused a lot of discussion. Eventually they began to see patterns in the cards, especially the tenths fraction cards, percentages and decimals. I was pleased when they started to tell me that certain fraction cards were missing. We could extend this game by adding ratio cards. It was easy to differentiate because you just take some selected cards out or just use the fraction, decimal or percentage cards on their own
Elaine M. Smith –
APEX / Language of Maths laminated cards referring especially to 2D + 3D shapes and positional vocabulary and a tin of random 3D shapes / Checking understanding of shape and space vocabulary. Looking at properties of 2D and 3D shapes. Sorting shapes by criteria.
I have a tin full of everyday items (marbles, incense cone, lipstick etc,) and they have to name each shape and then sort them into groups. I have some nets that can be cut out and stuck together to make 3D shapes (senteacher.org). These shapes can then be placed around a room or stacked for the learners to describe (positional vocabulary).
(MSS2/E3.1) / Identifying 3D + 2D shapes in everyday items.
Expand their maths vocabulary. / Depending on which sorting criteria they chose, all answers were slightly different and this caused a discussion to develop. For many of my learners believe that there can only be one right answer to anything. The word cuboid caused some problems as did sphere.
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