Maths teaching in the UK today is bound by meritocracy if you can do
you’re fine. If you can cope with the break-
which differ from day to day you are rewarded with a SAT level. If on
the other hand you don t understand a topic fully before you go on to
another, then another then another, and only partly understand some of
those also, the pattern mentioned above illustrated by the ‘wall' develops.
As more topics and concepts are added, understanding compared with
those performing at the ‘right' level for his/her age, falls further and
further behind. By the time the iniquitous SATs arrive, he/she may just
scrape through. At secondary school the process continues based on a
snapshot under examination conditions. If the individual has failed to get
the required number of ticks in the SATs, he/she is given remedial help
because he/she is ‘thick’. During all this perceived failure a mindset of
fear, helplessness and resignation to their fate slowly develops, along
with a hatred of the subject. Is it any wonder that individuals who have
gone through the state system need help when they start work?
I say these things from experience as a primary school teacher of many
years, working in a college of further education and now a secondary
school. In primary school I was for ever chasing my tail to complete all
the requirements of the national curriculum I had no time to reinforce,
or ensure understanding through revision and practice. The whole
process was a factory farm of learning to produce a pupils all packaged
with a SATs level ‘deemed' acceptable by higher authorities who knew
nothing of the needs of the children I taught. By the time individuals had
gone through the state system of testing and factory style teaching
process, is it any wonder that, although they passed GCSE in maths, they
didn’t understand it. I found out working in the college that individuals
had huge gaps in their knowledge, and often at a very basic level of
arithmetic.
As a trained teacher with qualifications in dyslexia, I see the lack of
understanding of the needs of the individual with either knowledge and
understanding deficits in maths, and those with problems with English
reading. We can test for a reading age of any pupils right through
his/her career, but there are no such tests for mathematics. The best we
can do is say that the average child should ‘know this’, and ‘be able to do
that!’ This really isn’t good enough in a so-
progressive society which has the needs of the individual at its heart.
Research into the workings of the brain has shown the need for teaching
according to learning styles, but when do we cater for the kinaesthetic
learner? The majority of the time it is Year 1 and 2 of the infants school.
It is time to abandon a reliance of SATs for ever, and look to the
knowledge which has been gleaned about the working brain over the past
decades and put this into practice in the schools.
The Soroban I believe is a jewel ready to be utilised as a strong brain
development tool, which will enhance the understanding of children in
our schools. It provides such a wealth of opportunities which cannot (in
my opinion) be provided by any one other means. It opens a world up to
failing individuals who despair in going to mathematics lessons. One
remarkable side effect of using the soroban is the enthusiasm and
enjoyment that the pupils experience. Pupils who normally ‘hate’ maths
lessons (it is not too strong a word to use), come happily and beaver away
without showing any signs of reluctance to take part. Surely something
which develops the brain, helps your understanding of maths and at the
same time is enjoyable can’t be a bad thing, can it?
G.Griffiths B.A.hons, B.Ed.hons, DFPS, PGD (special needs), ATS British Dyslexia Association.
The Problem with Mathematics Teaching
