The Education Continuum

Involving parents in helping their child to learn mathematics (tangible information for sale)

I really welcome the recent report from the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review. The report, published on 19th Dec 2011, identifies ten salient dimensions that contribute to 'high expectations for all'. The tenth of these is ‘Engagement of parents and carers in authentic learning’. They say, 'The point here is those in a position to support pupil learning should have direct access to tangible information on which to base their contribution.' They use the summary work of Martin Hughes as their source reference.

Martin was my supervisor at the University of Bristol for my PhD research on parents who help their children with mathematics. One of the major findings from my research is that parents are actually far more involved and interested in their children's mathematics education than had previously been acknowledged. They are also keen to find advice on how to help support their children's maths but, for various reasons, often don't take up the help offered by schools.

My books, Help Your Child with Numeracy: Age 3 - 7 (2007), and Age 7 - 11 (2009), use the insights gained from my PhD, as well as my current experiences as a practising senior school teacher of mathematics, to try to bridge that gap and give help and support to parents, and are a very good example of the sort of ‘tangible information’ that parents need to help support their children's mathematical learning.

As a result of the report, the implementation of the new National Curriculum has been put back to Sept 2014. Most of the content of my books is timeless – things that will be helpful whatever the curriculum is – but it’s nice to know that even where references to the National Curriculum are unavoidable, even those parts are still current for at least the next two and a half years!

In particular, my books are still the only ones on the market which look in depth at the key issue of the two main written methods of subtraction. This is something that I know bothers many parents, which is why I included it in both books. So you didn’t know that there is more than one way to do a subtraction on paper? Take the simple test on my website (www.maths4mumsanddads.co.uk – there’s a ‘TAKE THE TEST’ button on the home page). You’ll also find, after the test, a film clip of me explaining the two methods. Then you can amaze your friends and advise the parents of the children in your class.

Guest post by Dr Rosemary Russell, mathematics teacher at St. Peter’s School Voluntary Academy, Bournemouth, UK.

Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence, by Betty Rudd

When I was a pupil at primary school, the head teacher angrily told me that I was stupid and un-teachable.

I felt so ashamed and wished that I didn’t exist! Years later, I realised that he and I lacked emotional intelligence. He shouted at me, because of his incapacity to use his emotions intelligently. I was not able to use my emotions intelligently and so I did not speak up for myself.

So, what do I mean by being emotionally intelligent? Although there are various definitions, the one which is consensually agreed is this: When you can experience feeling your own emotions and sense what others are feeling, and manage those emotions in an appropriate way, while keeping yourself and those around you content.

Research and theory point to the proposal that emotional intelligence is the scaffolding for successful relationships. It was Darwin, in ‘The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals’, who initially documented that emotions are central to our survival as a species. From that publication until the last century, when Edward Thorndike suggested that they were in fact important, psychologists put emotions on the back-burner. He named the skill of understanding others as well as one’s own self as ‘social intelligence’.

In the 21st Century, there is growing research and theorising in this area, illustrating that emotional intelligence can ward off mental disorders and physical illness (for more about this see publications by, for example, Deepak Chopra and William Bloom – as well my own work). Unless emotions are dealt with appropriately, negative ones such as anger can actually cause our immune systems to weaken!

What about positive emotions such as happiness and love? What effect do these have on our minds, bodies and souls? Well, the fact is that these types of emotions promote mental and physical health. Remarkably, Dr. Dean Ornsish, a medic in the USA, has discovered a way of reversing heart disease. A major component of the heart disease reversal package is emotional disclosure. His work shows repeatedly that disclosing the emotions that are the most difficult to share, is a major factor in prolonging life.

This skill can be nurtured in children, and it is never too late for adults to learn how to do it to. Intriguingly, we also know from research such as that undertaken by Sue Gerhardt* that the beginnings of emotional intelligence can start in the womb. A stressed pregnant mother, for example, can result in a premature birth or diminished fetal brain development.

If only we lived in an ideal world. But we don’t. Yet we can get closer to it by growing our emotional intelligence. To do this, we can socialise with emotionally intelligent individuals, and read and watch movies where we follow characters who are emotionally literate (whether fictional or not). We can also start to share our profoundest emotions, show kindness to others and last but not least, show compassion to ourselves.

* Sue Gerhardt co-founded the Oxford Parent Infant Project (OXPIP) in the UK. She is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and author of ‘Why Love Matters’ and 'The Selfish Society’.

 

 

Betty Rudd is the author of Help Your Child Develop Emotional Literacy. You can read more about Betty and her work at: www.emotionalliteracy.eu

 

 Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)

Let's make it better for boys

It's common knowledge that girls consistently outdo boys in their GCSE results in the UK, but did you know that more boys than girls drop out of school? Or that last year, 17.2% of young male undergraduates were unemployed, compared to 11.2% of their female counterparts?

One exam board recently announced that they were considering offering different exams for boys and girls. One can only imagine that this is an attempt to close the attainment gap, but by stigmatising in this way, are we not going backwards? Surely we need to find and tackle the root causes of the difference between achievement and employment of our young men and women, rather than attempting to balance the books on a superficial level?

If you caught any of Gareth Malone's recent project, you'll have seen that by taking a step back and adding elemtns of competition, creativity and activity into learning can do wonders for pupil engagement.

'Making it Better for Boys' author, Ali McClure has a new range of courses for parents and professionals coming up in the Autumn. Ali is an author, education and parenting consultant.  

Making it Better for Boys: Creativity and the Primary Curriculum (for KS1/2 professionals) 
Guildford: Friday 15 October 2010, 10am-4pm

Positive Power (for parents)
Woking: Thursday 4 November 2010, 8pm-10pm

Making it Better for Boys: Understanding Boys (and Girls) Learning (for EYs and KS1 professionals)
Guildford: Friday 19 November 2010, 10am-4pm

Sibling Rivalry (for parents)
Woking: Thursday 25 November 2010, 8pm-10pm

Behaviour, Consequences and Discipline (for parents)
Woking: Wednesday 16 Feburary 2011, 8pm-10pm

Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)

Rosemary Russell's new website will help engage parents in their child's maths education

Continuum author and maths teacher, Rosemary Russell, has just launched a new website called www.maths4mumsanddads.co.uk. Despite the name, it's not just for mums and dads, there are plenty of tips for teachers to encourage parental involvement, as well as useful links to relevant research and further reading.

Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)

Fourth edition of Getting the Buggers to Behave is out now!

Pedigree Chum, anyone?

To celebrate the launch of the new edition of this international bestseller, we're offering you the chance to win a copy and a mention on the companion website!

For those of you who’ve never read Sue Cowley’s prodigious bestseller Getting the Buggers to Behave, you won’t yet be familiar with some of the slightly zany tactics Sue employs to get her kids to listen, and actually enjoy listening. My personal favourite is ‘The Can of Dog Food’, which can be found on p.115 of the new edition:

Description:

This activity was originally used for design technology, and it shocks the students into paying attention. Of all the suggestions I’ve ever made, this has attracted the most controversy. Your teaching style probably needs to be ‘comic and quirky’ or possibly ‘edge of madness’ to pull it off. Prepare your can ahead of time: cut the base off the tin or split open the pouch carefully; empty it out and wash it well; chop up the Mars bars and mix this with the jelly; refill the can or pouch and fix it back together with glue or tape. (Note: an easier alternative is to swap the labels over between dog food and something more appetizing.) Explain to the class that the lesson is about packaging. Show the students the can of dog food, open it up, and then eat from it. Offer it round the class, to see if anyone will have a taste. You’ll get a lively reaction to this opening, but your students will eventually quieten down to hear what you have to say.

Have you ever used a slightly off-the-wall starter to get your students’ attention? If so, we want to hear from you! If Sue likes your idea the best, you’ll win a free copy of the new edition and a mention on the companion website. To enter, just email mwilson@continuumbooks.com with your ‘edge of madness’ story before 30 September 2010.

Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)

Parents offer 'hidden help' with mathematics

I just wanted to let you know that one of our authors, Rosemary Russell recently wrote a really interesting piece on the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) website on how parents can help, and are helping to reinforce numeracy skills in their children.

The part that parents can play in really boosting a child's number sense and skills acuisition is a hot topic, and finding out how to tap into the reasons parents do offer their children extra support in maths at home is an issue that deserves exploration.

 

Rosemary is the author of Help your Child with Numeracy Ages 3-7, and Help your Child with Numeracy Ages 7-11.

Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)

Making it Better for Boys?

It's common knowledge that girls persistently outdo boys in their GCSE results in the UK, but did you know that more boys than girls drop out of school? Or that last year, 17.2% of young male undergraduates were unemployed, compared to 11.2% of their female counterparts?

One exam board recently announced that they were considering offering different exams for boys and girls. One can only imagine that this is an attempt to close the attainment gap, but by stigmatising in this way, are we not going backwards? Surely we need to find and tackle the root causes of the difference between achievement and employment of our young men and women, rather than attempting to balance the books on a superficial level?

'Making it Better for Boys' author, Ali McClure has a new range of courses for parents and professionals coming up in the Autumn. Ali is an author, education and parenting consultant.  

Making it Better for Boys: Creativity and the Primary Curriculum (for KS1/2 professionals) 
Guildford: Friday 15 October 2010, 10am-4pm

Positive Power (for parents)
Woking: Thursday 4 November 2010, 8pm-10pm

Making it Better for Boys: Understanding Boys (and Girls) Learning (for EYs and KS1 professionals)
Guildford: Friday 19 November 2010, 10am-4pm

Sibling Rivalry (for parents)
Woking: Thursday 25 November 2010, 8pm-10pm

Behaviour, Consequences and Discipline (for parents)
Woking: Wednesday 16 Feburary 2011, 8pm-10pm

Melanie Wilson
Commissioning Editor (Professional Education)