Maths chest 1: teacher's file
Maths Chest 1 is the first of a developmental scheme published in the late 1980s. The aims of the scheme were to provide concrete activities to allow secure formation of concepts and develop understanding. The scheme was written with the firm belief that children should enjoy mathematics therefore includes many games and investigations designed to motivate and encourage self-confidence in learners.
It is organised into five topic areas: sorting, number, pictorial representation, measure, shape and space and number. Each topic area is revisited several times and incorporates relevant practical work so progress may be built upon gradually. Other resources include an introduction, repromasters, apparatus topics and big pictures.
Apparatus topics are play-based activities using commonly available practical equipment such as sand, peg-boards, paint, or the home corner and contain questions which may be asked during play to stimulate learning. Big pictures are provided to promote discussion and repromasters provide material for games and activities. Each of the topic areas contains detailed teachers' notes which describe how to carry out teacher-led activities. This is supplemented by the 27 apparatus topics which details play-based group activities which are linked to each topic area.
Maths Chest 1 is focussed on practical and verbal learning but in later activities children are encouraged to start to record some of their work so that by the time Maths Chest 2 is reached they are ready to try individual activities. It also includes extra teacher and group activities so difficult ideas may be looked at from a different viewpoint to support or to enrich the understanding of a topic.
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