The Developmental Stages in Mathematics

Level One

• Students need short maths games 1-7 minutes as they have a short attention span.
  Children need to understand concepts easily in game situations.
• High participation rate of all children, especially in group work.
• Activities should be related to their interests
• Give clear, simple instructions and make sure they are understood. A Good way to check this is to ask the children to repeat instructions back to the teacher.
• The children should use 'hands-on' resources, for example, multi-link, blocks
• Teacher should use teach simple maths language appropriate to the level.
• The teacher should remind children how to work in groups as they can be egocentric.
  
  

Level Two

• Students still need short maths activities, but their attention span is longer than Level One.
• Students need a lot of group work.
• Activities should be related to students' interests.
• The Teacher should use maths language appropriate to their level.
• Teacher should give clear simple instructions.
• Students are able to work independently for short periods of time.
• Students still need hands on resources.
• Children need high levels of involvement to maintain interests.

Level Three

• There is a larger gap of ability levels so ability groupings are more needed. Perhaps maths interchange is in place.
• Extension of gifted children.
• Ability to pick up speed and fluency of basic facts.
• Children are capable of working independently.
• Children have a greater desire to be challenged.
• Children have security in repetition so they can adapt to routine in the form of timetables.
• Students socialise more in groups so teacher must allow more time for collaboration.

Level Four

• Children can independently think and work by themselves. More activities from textbooks can be done.
• There is a larger gap of ability levels so ability levels are needed. Perhaps maths interchange is in place.
• Children have more co-ordination so they need more challenging activities.
• Children have security in repetition so they can adapt to routine in the form of timetables.
• Students socialise more in groups so teacher must allow more time for collaboration.
• Teacher must plan for children who need extension activities.
• Children can carry out longer investigations, and think critically.
• Children have a varied number of strategies to work out problems.