Mathematics
Mathematics
A strong foundation in numeracy is important as mathematical skills are critical to many of our everyday activities. Furthermore, with Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as the main driver of emerging job markets, our students need to have strong mathematical skills to be able to access the opportunities, which will become available in the years head.
Students’ passion in a subject do influence their motivation to learn and achieve mastery. Thus, our focus is on developing students’ problem solving skills in a fun and meaningful way. The department programmes follow closely to the direction set by MOE. The programmes enable students to:
- acquire and apply mathematical concepts and skills for everyday use and continuous learning in mathematics
- develop thinking, reasoning, communication, application and metacognitive skills through a mathematical approach to problem solving;
- build confidence and foster joy of learning in mathematics.
In addition to the Mathematics curriculum, the department administers the following programmes to help all students achieve success in learning mathematics.
Learning Support for Mathematics Programme
Primary 1 and 2 students who require more help to catch up with their peers receive additional coaching on basic numeracy skills through the Learning Support for Mathematics (LSM) programme.
Students in the LSM programme benefit from small class size and thus more individual attention from the teacher. They also learn through specially designed activities to build their confidence in Mathematics.
Improving Confidence and Achievement in Numeracy (ICAN) Project
We embarked on ICAN with guidance from MOE in 2017. This project aims to raise the confidence and achievement of students who are not performing well in Mathematics.
Through ICAN, teachers are provided with the tools to better identify students’ main learning challenges, help them close their learning gaps, and scaffold the learning of new knowledge and skills. Lessons are structured to allow students to appreciate how Mathematics can be applied to everyday life. Students are also given opportunities to experience incremental success, so as to enable them to develop more confidence in themselves and find Mathematics more enjoyable over time.
E2K Mathematics Programme
The E2K Mathematics Programme was conceptualized as a Mathematics enrichment programme for upper primary students who demonstrate interest and high ability in Mathematics.
The programme aims to foster independence in mathematical thinking skills, as well as nurture other important 21st century competencies such as resilience and resourcefulness and to enhance critical and inventive thinking and effective communication skills.
During the E2K sessions, our identified students will be exposed to challenging Math problems. The learning experiences will include opportunities to discover, reason and communicate Mathematical ideas and concepts, especially in problem solving.
Financial Literacy Programme
Financial literacy complements the teaching of consumer mathematics concepts by providing a real world context for the students to make sense of quantities and to reason inductively about data. It provides a platform for students to apply mathematics in everyday decision making, beyond merely finding the “correct” answers.
Through the financial literacy programme, authentic applications of money decisions are integrated into the mathematics curriculum topics of money, graphs, fraction and percentage. Through these lessons, students also gain basic knowledge on economics and financial management skills.
Math Homekit
Research shows that families are an essential part of the learning of Mathematics. Doing and supporting mathematics learning at home can make a great difference in a child’s mathematics learning. When children participate in the activities with family members, their self-confidence increases and their attitude towards mathematics becomes The Math Homekit has been designed to provide opportunities for parents and their children to solve problems, to use logical thinking, to develop strategies, and to communicate mathematical thinking and understanding. Some questions in the Homekit booklet can be used by parents to help their children gain a clearer understanding of the mathematics concepts being explored. While some of the activities review concepts that have already been taught in class, some extend the child’s understanding and some prepare the child for concepts to be explored in class in the near future.
Last updated : 26/01/2023