Using mental computation strategies

The lesson focuses on mental computation skills and developing automaticity. The teacher also supports students to describe and justify their own approaches to complex mathematical problems. Students are provided with foundational or more challenging tasks, and are allowed to select activities based on their level of confidence. At the end of the lesson students reflect on how they will apply their learning outside the classroom.

Humpty Doo Primary School is a Northern Territory Government primary school situated 40km South-East of Darwin. The school has a student population that reflects the multicultural diversity of the surrounding community with a large number of families who speak English as a Second Language. 25% of students identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and a further 30% of the students have Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Japanese, Indonesian, Cambodian, Spanish, Dutch or Chinese cultural backgrounds. Humpty Doo Primary School has a priority to develop the social-emotional wellness and inclusion of all members within the school community. To support this priority, the school is committed to being an active KidsMatter school and Tribes Learning Community. Staff work collaboratively in teaching and learning hubs to develop curriculum programs responsive to the Australian Curriculum with a current focus on literacy improvement and the implementation of Visible Learning approaches.