smp 7-13

SMP 7-13Author(s): Alan RogersonSource: Mathematics in School, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan., 1975), pp. 4-6Published by: The Mathematical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30211304 .

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SWIMIM SWIMIM by Alan Rogerson, Research Director, SMP

The background to the new SMP work in the middle years was outlined in July, 1973 Mathematics in School. This article describes the progress made since then and outlines future plans.

In September, 1973, the twenty-five members of the newly formed SMP writing team met together for the first time. All are teachers or former teachers in primary, middle or secondary schools with a keen interest and involvement in mathematics in the middle years, and a general agreement about the type of course that should be designed to meet the needs of teachers and pupils. It was felt that full-time teachers were essential so that the direct experience and involvement with children guides and inspires the writing. It was also felt that more ideas and a broader perspective is available from a larger group of writers with a full-time editor. The first meeting in September was remarkable for the speed and ease with which the group got to work on the two initial tasks: an overall plan and timetable for the project, and a detailed curriculum guide. The timetable is summarized below:

Figure 1 SMP 7-13 TIMETABLE

11-12

12-13

1974 April Sept

1975 April Sept

1976 April Sept

1977 Aoril Sept

1976 April Sept

1979 April Sept

[PRINT I

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SPRINT; TE RETES I

PRINT

WRITE IPRINTI TESTI RETEST pRINT

IWRITE PRINT; TEST; RETEST I

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We had decided to begin the course at age 7 for children starting at Junior schools, and the six years course from 7-13 will be published from 1977 to 1979. The curriculum

During the Autumn of 1973 a detailed curriculum network was prepared and after several revisions became an outline plan for the writing. In the first two years the curriculum contains work on number and computation, shape, space and measurement and is similar to those used in many primary/middle schools. This was a deliberate decision to help the teachers and minimize problems of pupil transfer. The curriculum provides essential discovery and apparatus work and consolidates it with interesting number work and computation in an

4

ordered progression. The plan of the curriculum is as follows:

Each of the six units can be summarised as follows

one unit

Figure 2

0-

O-

Q- @-

@-

Each Block of 50 topics covers the range of mathematics in number, space, and measure

Developing mathematical progression

First 50 topics can be completed in any order

Followed by these 50 in any order

Fol lowed by these 50 in any order

Unit one is roughly a year's mathematics, split into three bands with each band covering the whole range of mathematics. Each band provides consolidating and reinforcement of skills and concepts at the same level, the next band takes each activity a stage further and so on. Usually each child will work his way through a band of activities in about a term in the order that suits him best. Form of the materials

The second writers meeting in January, 1974, was mainly concerned with the allocation and writing of the material for 7-9 year-old children. We agreed to write an individualized course (or parrly-individualized, since group work and occasional class lessons were also envisaged). For the children aged 7-9, whose attention span is relatively short, it was decided to write mainly work cards with occasional topic books for extended work and projects. For each curriculum activity a group of cards/topic books would be written differing in style to suit children over a wide ability range. All children do the starter card first which serves a diagnostic function for the pupil/teacher. After this each child does one or more of the other cards. The cards for less able children are written in a less sophistic- ated style, shorter sentences with reduced vocabulary and syntax. They also tend to involve more concrete activities from which any child can derive satisfaction and a sense of achievement. As an experiment we have not labelled the cards A,B,C, to avoid "labelling" the child, although each card does have a unique reference number in the bottom right hand corner.



Figure 3

12 Animal symbol indicates starter card which all pupils do

12 12 12

Teacher's Material It was strongly felt that the teacher's material is an

important and necessary part of SMP 7-13 and would be written in draft form and published alongside the pupils course. At present we have written a draft handbook outlining the course, giving help on classroom organization, apparatus, etc. and giving answers and hints to the pupils' materials. It was also thought vital that for any individualized (or partly individualized) course we provide individual pupils' record cards numbered according to the pupils' materials. The complete SMP 7-13 course for one year will therefore look like this:

Figure 4

A complete structured course for pupils in work cards and topic books

Teachers handbook and booklets to supplement the course

Numbering linked for assessment

Diagrams on reverse side to be copied or traced

12

Pupils work card

Pupils individual record cards

NAME FORM

Pupils individual record card

In addition we are writing supplementary booklets on projects, games and puzzles, apparatus, classroom organization etc. to provide helpful references and ideas for teachers.

Writing and Design of Materials The writers, sometimes meeting in local groups,

completed the first two years of the pupils course before Easter, 1974. The materials were then edited and checked before being passed on to a specially commissioned design team of artists. At this stage editors

and designers met twice weekly to discuss each piece of work and to ensure full implementation of educational

objectives.

Photographs of the project at work.

As a result of this co-operation, the materials show a planned variety of type-face, illustration, colour, and style. In addition to cards written in the straight- forward way, some are written in amusing "fun"-style, some are games, some are projects and some are con-

5



Figure 5

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15 You need: two basins, cup.

Draw the two basins.

Label them basin A and basin B.

Basin A Basin B Fill basin A with cups of water.

Write:

'Basin A holds cups of water.

Fill basin B with cups of water.

Write: 'Basin B holds cups of water Basin is larger

2 16

Write how many: elephantos; gorillas,_ giraffes, _

lions,_ zebras._ Write howZ many animals alto~lethier

28

Write: Thereare - lugs Theveare Theve ave legs

Each bug buy; a hat and som0 0hoe.

nrite: n-here hats al-ogether

-T-hes are w -oes aH-ogeheF" Each bug hes exwiFe. ,.,

Write: -here are bugs alfogether legs altogether ezjes al-togethear.

E 84 You need: box of solid shapes.

Find a shape like this:

Count how mapny edgees t ere are.

Write: There are edges to the prism.

Find two more shapes like this and count the edges. Draw them. Write the number of edges under your drawings. Do the same for:

vind

Cylinden s ~ P1 I

solidating work. While it is obviously impossible to give an adequate impression of the range and variety, a few cards are illustrated above.

The overall variety in approach, design, style and appearance of the material was deliberate to enable testing schools to judge and compare them. The two years materials for 7-9 was printed and distributed to testing schools in August 1974. Testing of SMP 7-13

Much of the written material has already been tried and fully tested by the writers in their own schools, and all of it benefits from their considerable cumulative teaching experience. Nevertheless, it is vital to test the system as a whole and this will be done in selected schools throughout the country: eleven primary schools in Morecambe, seven middle schools in Ealing, four primary schools in Islington, and seven other primary and middle schools. All pupils' and teachers' material will be tested for two years and extensive feedback and detailed comments obtained to produce a tested, modified and improved course for final publication. To effectively evaluate the pupils' materials as much information and data as possible is being sought. This will include: (1) A table showing important aspects of each work card and topic book such as the mathematical activity, apparatus used, level of difficulty, vocabulary, and appearance.

(2) A suggestions sheet in which testing schools will note any errors, omissions or improvements for individual cards. (3) A questionnaire to record general comments at the end of each term. (4) Individual pupils' record cards and assessment tests. Evaluation

The final evaluation and its implementation will involve an extended and detailed appraisal of the materials by the writing team, co-ordinated by the editor. The data collected will form the basis, but discussions with teachers and children, and comments

6

from all those reading the pupils' materials will also contribute vital information. The general aims and objectives which will guide the evaluation and which have determined the type of information and data sought are as follows.

Aims and Objectives (1) We wish to write a complete mathematics course. The data will indicate whether the materials are too much/too little and what areas need supplementation. (2) The course should have a logical progression of mathematical activities and concepts and the feedback should enable us to make adjustments where necessary. (3) Each child should be respected as an individual, and material should be designed to give him satisfaction and enjoyment in achieving his potential. (4) The course should include group work and encour- age occasional class teaching as well as individual work so that a child will co-operate with others and feel a part of a larger social group. (5) The mathematical activities should relate to the child's own life and environment where relevant. (6) Children should be encouraged to use their in- tuition in creative, experimental and discovery work. (7) Children should use apparatus frequently and engage in concrete activities where relevant.

A large number of teachers and others are involved in helping to make SMP 7-13 an appropriate and useful contribution to mathematics in the middle years. Systematic in-service help will be provided including courses, explanatory guides for Teachers Centres and Colleges of Education, and video-tapes to explain SMP 7-13. Another important area will be the preparation of tapes (and possibly slides) for remedial use. Com- ments, queries and offers of help with any aspects of this work are welcomed, and further information may be obtained by writing to me at The SMP Office, Westfield College, Kidderpore Avenue, London NW3 7ST. The plans outlined in this article are provisional; details are being modified as the work develops.



smp 7-13

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