What are the benefits of end-of-chapter reviews in Maths — No Problem! textbooks?
From Ryan Neal, Deputy Headteacher at St Bridget’s C of E Primary School, Wirral:
We use the Reviews at the end of each chapter, to do almost in test conditions, the idea being you do it independently, and you don’t have a chance to bounce the ideas off several people.
Just as a way hopefully to underline that yes, they’ve achieved the objectives and they understand what they’re doing. Or no, actually this child’s going to need a little bit more time. That informs my teaching and my planning and i’ll look at what’s coming up and if multiplication was an issue, but it’s coming up again in area and perimeter in a week or two’s time — I use that accordingly and maybe plan opportunities for those children to practice again. Or is it a case of no we need to put the brakes on and consolidate and look at this if it’s more of a class wide issue.
I think the kids as well, as we’ve done more work, we’ve moved towards a growth mindset, they see the point in it. It’s not just about a tick or not, it’s “okay, well, I’m good with this bit, this is where I need to work on, this what I need to do next time.”
So hopefully that’s the goal, we want them to be reflective learners and hopefully it’s helping them do that.
That’s sort of filtered into other lessons now, I’m finding in science lessons I might start with some sort of teaser or problem, and allow the children to pick it apart before starting to go through the learning objectives. I think of my assessment informally, and as I teach, that, it feels stronger. I feel more confident with the questions I ask and how I do it. So I’d say that’s been a really positive impact from it.