Research Question: How can adults best support children's mathematical enquiry in their play?
Researcher(s): Dawn Chivers
Setting(s): Compass Point
Status: Findings Published
Maths is a priority at Compass Point, and the setting is trying to develop children’s in-depth understanding of maths. There is a need to focus on language development. Dawn has filmed the children and made observations of the children and the practitioners within the setting. As a result she found that during taught sessions the questioning was stronger so she decided that she needed to develop the questioning during free flow play. She has made questionnaires for the staff about how they feel about maths. This showed there was a need to develop confidence so she has adapted the planning to give guidance with open questions and put them up around the classroom to support staff.
A note about Practitioner led Mathematical Research 2017
The Bristol Early Years Consortium Maths SLEs have received funding from the Boolean Maths Hub to:
- Develop specialist subject knowledge of mathematics teaching.
- Develop pedagogical knowledge of mathematics teaching.
- Improve the quality of mathematics teaching.
- Develop confidence and resilience in learning mathematics.
The SLEs as research mentors are using research as a form of CPD to achieve the above aims.
The research participants have sculpted their own questions for their research and the SLEs will meet with the research participants 6 times a year and have whole research group meetings three times a year. There are 15 teacher/practitioner researchers who work with children from two years old to seven years old.
