ITAP 2 - Scaffolding in Maths by

Scaffolding talk in Maths

fayerobertson1 — 2025-04-30 09:22:13 UTC

This blog post from the EEF really highlights the fact that in maths, we don't just have to scaffold written work but also group work to promote high-quality talk. Kate Henshall, emphasises the use of sentence stems like "it must be," "it can't be," and "it could be" to help students articulate their thoughts more effectively. These stems support students in starting sentences, allowing them to focus on the content of their speech rather than the structure. This is really a primary based research article, but we absolutely need to be thinking about these strategies in the secondary maths learners as scaffolding for disciplinary literacy is essential.

The blog introduces the TOLD framework for promoting high-quality talk in maths, which stands for:

Take part
Opportunities
Links
Debate

Using sentence stems encourages exploratory talk, where students discuss, express contrasting views, and explain their reasoning. This approach helps students build on each other's ideas and uncover mathematical structures through guided discussions

Scaffolding in Maths

fayerobertson1 — 2025-04-30 14:09:36 UTC

Accelerate Learning discusses scaffolding in math education. Scaffolding is a teaching strategy that provides temporary support to students until they can master a task independently. In maths, this involves building up basic skills gradually, allowing students to tackle more complex problems with confidence.

Scaffolding helps students build a strong foundation in their basic maths skills, enabling them to understand and apply more complex concepts over time. Using tools like manipulatives, visual aids, and step-by-step problem-solving techniques to help students grasp foundational concepts before moving on to more challenging material. Scaffolding aids in learning math content and also supports social and emotional development, helping students develop confidence, resilience, and a growth mindset

Using Manipulatives in Maths

fayerobertson1 — 2025-04-30 14:13:39 UTC

This article from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) discusses the importance of using manipulatives, a key scaffolding strategy in maths teaching. It highlights a growing consensus among educators that physical manipulatives should play a central role in teaching mathematics, not just for young pupils or those struggling to understand concepts. It considers the use of algebra tiles, which are useful for supporting students in counting, understanding linear equations, and factorising. Variation theory is also covered here, which helps in teaching concepts like 'counting on' to young children

The article also mentions various resources, including books and videos, to help teachers effectively integrate manipulatives into their lessons. This has a massive crossover with the work we will look at around modelling in maths, and this is a great place for you to begin to investigate different types of scaffolded modelling in maths.

Scaffolding Practices That Enhance Mathematics

fayerobertson1 — 2025-05-01 07:35:15 UTC

This article explores various classroom interactions that can be identified as scaffolding, particularly in the context of mathematics education This support is gradually removed as the learner becomes more independent. The article characterises different classroom practices that can be considered scaffolding. These include simplifying tasks, maintaining direction, and highlighting critical features. Examples specific to maths are given from studies on geometry learning with young children (ages 4-6) and arithmetic learning with older pupils. The discussion emphasises the social constructivist paradigm, where students actively construct meaning through participation in established mathematical practices The teacher shifts from direct instruction to responsive guidance.

Identifying Teachers Scaffolding Practices in the Maths Classroom

fayerobertson1 — 2025-05-01 07:41:45 UTC

The article explores effective scaffolding techniques in mathematics education. The study was part of the Researching Numeracy Teaching Approaches in Primary Schools Project (2001-2003), which aimed to identify effective teaching strategies in Victorian primary schools. The research highlights various scaffolding practices, such as modelling desired behaviours, offering explanations, inviting student participation, verifying and clarifying understandings, and encouraging students to contribute clues. A structured peer observation method called "Behind-the-screen" was used, where teachers taught small groups of children while being observed by their peers through a one-way mirror. This technique helped in identifying and describing effective scaffolding practices. The study emphasises the importance of the teacher's role in providing individualised support based on the learner's Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky). The findings suggest that peer observation and review are valuable tools for enhancing teachers' understanding of their professional practice and improving student outcomes in mathematics.

SEND Focus

fayerobertson1 — 2025-05-01 11:33:09 UTC

This blog summarises why scaffolding is so important to students with dyscalculia in particular, but of course this crosses over into all other types of SEND too.

Faye's Overview

fayerobertson1 — 2025-05-01 11:33:39 UTC

Scaffolding is so second nature to us as maths teachers - I just can't imagine a situation where we wouldn't do it throughout the lesson. It would be incredibly unusual, for example, to try and teach the 4x table before you have taught the 8, to teach right angled trigonometry before you have taught Pythagoras' Theorem, or to teach surds without checking that the knowledge of square factors was sound. The exception to this rule might be where you present the questioning technique 'Hardest Question First', which we will look at in more detail in ITAP 3. However, even this is scaffolded, as you then zoom into the elements that make up the 'hard question'. Perhaps the more tricky consideration for us as mathematicians then, is how we successfully remove scaffolding so that the pupil becomes independent. This can be a tricky call in a subject where pupils have to think hard, or perhaps are disengaged, but is really important if we are going to produce mathematical thinkers. The GRR model you look at more generally across the week should give YOU a really good scaffold to do this, combined with the research on this page that is specific to how and why we scaffold not just written work but also for talk in the maths classroom.

Fisher and Fray - GRR

fayerobertson1 — 2025-11-02 21:10:29 UTC

This is the original research around how to use GRR to engage learners - this is the key generic research around your ITAP 2

Research Schools - Manipulatives in Maths

fayerobertson1 — 2025-11-02 21:55:49 UTC

The blog from the Research Schools Network, written by Heather Martin, explores how evidence-based practices have shaped the effective use of manipulatives in her schools

Concreteness Fading

fayerobertson1 — 2025-11-02 22:17:16 UTC

The article proposes a refined instructional theory called “concreteness fading” to enhance learning transfer by gradually shifting from concrete to abstract representations.

Impact Magazine

fayerobertson1 — 2025-11-03 14:46:48 UTC

A summary of the evidence and issues around deliberate practice that we explore on day 3 of ITaP 2

Session Slides in PPT

fayerobertson1 — 2025-11-11 12:40:56 UTC

Session slides for today, in ppt so they can be printed as handouts