Breaking Barriers and Building Confidence: Overcoming Math Anxiety in Early Years Through Joint Planning to Improve Outcomes

• Mathematics
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Breaking Barriers and Building Confidence

 Overcoming Math Anxiety in Early Years Through Joint Planning to Improve Outcomes

What's one thing you hope to take away from today's session?

Every teacher is a maths teacher.
Do you agree?

Yes

No

Not sure

Session Aims

• Discuss why the initiative was introduced
• Share the Numeracy in Early Years concept with peers 
• Explore how Cuisenaire rods could support the development of mathematical concepts.

• Discuss how similar models could be replicated in other areas. 

Context

1. Traineeship Framework – Consists of five key components, including Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy to achieve a Traineeship Diploma
   
2. Learner Profile – Weaker entry profile lower entry profile increasing the challenge of Level 2 achievement.
   
3. Timetabling Strategy – 578 hours allocated to childcare (including placement), plus targeted support: 40 hours for Traineeship Skills and 102 hours for essential skills. Numeracy in early years is embedded within childcare hours, optimising learning support with two tutors.
   
4. Strategic Alignment – This approach reinforces the Whole College Quality Improvement commitment, enhancing learner achievement and progression outcomes.
   

Why the initiative was introduced

• Address maths anxiety to remove barriers to learning
• Build confidence in numeracy to develop positive attitudes
• Promote collaborative planning to deepen curriculum expertise and exchange diverse teaching strategies for greater impact
• Improve learning outcomes - structured, well-planned interventions and teaching methods can enhance mathematical understanding and success

Starting point

Voice of the students will bring the learning

Topics identified by students 

• Ratio 
• Percentages 
• Formula 
• Scales 
• 6,7, and 9 times tables
•  Division
• Pie Charts 
• Area, perimeter and volume 
• Metric conversion

Teaching and learning 

• Learning environment was key
• Student-centred learning 
• Active learning
• Numeracy investigations
• Mini-project
• Compassionate, respectful approach
• Unconditional positive regard (Carl Rogers)

Numeracy investigations

• Careful planning of questions
• What questions am I going to ask? How will I ask them? When will I ask them? What will I do with the responses? How will I handle a wrong answer?
  
• Questions that are very useful to promote mathematical thinking include:
  
• What’s the same? What’s different?
  
• What do you see? What would you do next? How does this link to our last lesson? Why is this NOT an example of….?Can you give me an example of …? How would you explain this to another student?

Types of resources used

• 2 main factors helped us to determine the types of resources to use. 
• In Early Years settings children’s engagement with mathematics is often described as a process of ‘play’.
  
• In best practice a play approach to mathematics should be taken whatever the age of the learner (Association of Teachers of Mathematics)
• Manipulatives – learners relate better to physical things rather than pictures or verbal descriptions. A physical object can help clarify a concept.
  
• Posters – to summarise knowledge of a topic
• Card matching activities
  
• Displaying students’ work – discussing why this is a good piece of work.

Group task using Cuisenaire rods: upload a photo of one of your answers from either task 1, task 2 or task 3

What mathematical topics could Cuisenaire rods help with?

Mini-project on refurbishing an early years suite

• Easily able to identify a meaningful project 
• Many of the topics learners had identified as a focus: scale drawings, pie charts, area, perimeter
• Incorporated use of TEL
• Cross-curricular links to literacy and other CCLD units

Sketch of the room

Sample exam answer where drawing a sketch was required

Scale drawing calculations using the scale 2cm =1m

Exam question using the same scale

Table to show spending of £3000

Exam question on creating a table

Scale drawing of the early years suite

Sample question on scale drawing on exam

When to use context?

• From initial assessment right up to preparing for exams
  
• Most effective in early stages of a course to engage learners
  
• It is important to introduce a wide variety of contexts and that learners move onto contexts that they are not familiar with

(Mathematics Education Innovation)

What made this a success?

• Mutual learning and collaboration
• Respect for each individual learner and planning activities to reduce anxiety
• Effective use of Technology Enhanced Learning (Met Engage)
• An inclusive and enabling environment
• Student feedback

What we learned from this?

• Improved awareness of each other's subject
• Learned how to meaningfully contextualise essential skills within the vocational area
• Contexts can be used from initial assessment right up to preparing for exams
• Value of relationships among peers and teachers
• Supporting students' essential skills is a shared responsibility

Every teacher is a maths teacher. 

• We can support students by reinforcing maths that occurs naturally 
• Doing this helps students to make connections and provides them with more variation
• If the maths is being represented in lots of different ways, it will lead to deeper understanding
• Deeper understanding helps to commit learning to the long-term memory

What are your questions?