Emily Henderson

S00153424

Mathematics Individual Learning Plan

Name:

Year Level: 2

Classroom Teacher:

______________________

Date of Birth: __________

Teacher Assistant: Emily Henderson

For the period: 22nd April 2014 to 19th May 2014

Mathematics Focus:
This Individual Learning Plan will focus on experiences that will assist the child reach the following growth points:
Counting:
Place Value:

Addition &
Subtraction
Strategies:
Multiplication &
Division Strategies:

1. Rote counts 2. Counts a

3. Counts forwards &
4. Skip count by 5. Skip count by 2s,
to at least 20
collection of
backwards by ones, from
2s, 5s & 10s
5s & 10s from X
about 20 items
any starting point
1. Reading, writing,
2. Reading, writing,
3. Reading, writing,
4. Reading, writing,
interpreting and
interpreting and
interpreting and
interpreting and
ordering single digit
ordering 2 digit
ordering 3 digit
ordering 3 digit
numbers.
numbers.
numbers
numbers
1. Count all
2. Count on
3. Count back/Counts
4. Basic Strategies
down to/ counts up
from
1. Count all (multiple groups)
2. Modelling multiplication &
3. Abstracting multiplication and
division when all items are
division
perceived

Other:

Classroom Activities:
Counting
Session
1

Place Value

Addition & Subtraction

Multiplication &
Division

Tune in activity:
Five minute collection
20min Activity:
Extension of five minute
collection. Linda will order these
collections made from smallest to
largest, then represent these
numbers on a number line.

Session
2

Tune in activity:
Number Target

20min Activity:
Extension of Number Target:
Represent collections of number
target
Linda will read, write and
interpret three-digit numbers
using physical objects during this
activity.

Mathematics, Teaching & Learning Centre, Australian Catholic University. May not be copied without permission.
Ann Gervasoni (03) 5336 5300.

Emily Henderson
S00153424
Session
3

Tune in activity:
Make the Largest Number
20min Activity:
Extension of the Largest number:
Place value chart & how many
tens?
This activity involves Linda
building on her three-digit
knowledge again. She will be
building on ordering the numbers
made. Linda will learn how to
make a place value chart, which is
another way of visualising the
value of the number created.

Session
4

Tune in activity: Subtraction

Teddies

Session
5

Session
6

20min Activity: Race Back

to Zero (p.69)
This activity involves making
predictions, and then counting
back the amount of spaces
provided on the dice rolled. This
activity also helps build on
Lindas subitising through the use
of a dice.
Tune in activity:
Terminology of more and less.
This tune in activity is to gain an
understanding of what these terms
mean before using them as this
was something Linda found
difficult during the MAI.
20min Activity:
Worded problems will be given to
Linda, she will focus on working
out the problem with materials,
and then working out what the
problem would look like in an
equation form as worded addition
and subtraction problems were a
common difficulty for Linda
during the MAI.
Tune in activity:
Subtraction flash cards

20min Activity:
Two below bingo
This activity is related to game
they would have played in
younger years, only extended.
The activity focuses on counting
back strategies something Linda
needs improvement on.

Mathematics, Teaching & Learning Centre, Australian Catholic University. May not be copied without permission.
Ann Gervasoni (03) 5336 5300.

Emily Henderson
S00153424

Home Activities:
At home I suggest a number of things Linda could do. Linda could practice some of the activities at home with a family
member, a great one to do together is snap (more or less) as this activity is seen more as a game but in actual fact it
benefits Linda mathematically. Linda should build on counting down, back and from a number, so when extra time
arises, give Linda a number (for example 24) and ask her to count back 6 the continuous practice will help develop
Lindas mathematical knowledge and understanding of addition and subtraction. Another short task for Linda to complete
at home is to be given a three-digit number and represent this on a place value chart. This will be something that needs
lots of attention but as Linda becomes more familiar with working with three-digit numbers it will become a lot easier for
her to complete this short task.

Comments:
1. Goal Setting: As Linda and I work together we will be setting goals for each session. We will discuss what it is we
want to achieve by the end of the session/what we should know after today. I encourage this greatly for usage in the
classroom and at home; even if it be a weekly goal of something Linda might want to achieve or learn in this time.
2. Reflection: Reflection time for Linda is very essential, this time is where Linda learns most; through reflection. At
home or in class ensure Linda is given the time to talk about the mathematics she has just completed in her activities (for
example, ordering three digit numbers). As with the goal setting, Linda and I will be reflecting on our sessions at the end,
discussing what it is we have learnt and what has made that particular session enjoyable.

Explanation of choice of activities:

The activities I have chosen will be beneficial for Linda to move forward to the next growth point in both Place Value
and Addition & subtraction. During the Mathematics Assessment Interview (MAI) Lindas strengths and weaknesses
were identified. I believe that these activities will help her build the knowledge and understanding needed through the
guidance of myself. With the activities chosen I tried to make them as interesting and fun as possible as it is said by
Clarke (1998) always look for an opportunity of fun in mathematics...there is real potential for enjoyment in class. With
this in mind I found activities that had some fun about them with the use of demonstrations and hands on activities, rather
than a pen and paper activity. These activities also have a purpose; they are activities the children can connect to through
their interests or life experiences. For instance the number target game is using equipment children may have used
previously in sport classes. An activity with these types of hands on materials makes the learning more enjoyable and
memorable for the children.
When undertaking the MAI, Linda demonstrated she had the basic understanding of subtraction and addition (e.g. 5+2=7
or 6-3=3) but when using technical terms for addition and subtraction it confused her on how to handle the problem.
Given this information I have decided to begin a lesson with understanding and showing the many ways these terms
could be displayed as. I used my observations of the MAI to structure these upcoming lessons. During my observations I
also noticed that Linda relied on having a visual when counting, this was any object that could be used (her fingers,
bears, counters, etc). Providing a visual demonstration to students is a necessity, as agreed by Rogers (2000),
visualisation skills are observed as an important part of problem solving. This again helped my choice of activities to
use with Linda, as majority of the above activities all have visuals to them for Linda to see the objects physically being
taken away or added to the original amount.
Finally, the last influence on my activity choices was a statement I read The first master key for successful learning is a
teacher who is able to create a bridge for children as they negotiate the transition from home environments to the more
formal world of the school and learning school mathematics (Gervasoni, 2005). In order to gain success in these sessions
I believe I had to relate them to Lindas home and life experiences, the activity Subtraction Teddies involves teddies and
a bus. These two objects may be things that Linda is able to relate to as she may have these at home, rather than using
plain counters.

All the above activities I will be completing with Linda have great potential and this is the main reasoning of my choice
in activities. I also wanted to ensure Linda progresses to the next growth point successfully and become the greatest
mathematician she can be with the guidance of myself and those around her daily.
Mathematics, Teaching & Learning Centre, Australian Catholic University. May not be copied without permission.
Ann Gervasoni (03) 5336 5300.

Emily Henderson
S00153424

List of activities:

Five minute collection: Roll a ten sided die. Collect the number of objects indicated by the die and make a
collection. Repeat, making a larger and larger collection. Discuss quick strategies for naming the total collection.
(Gervasoni, A. 2004)

Extension of five minute collection: The five minute challenge will be played two-three times. Using the threedigit numbers collected the student is required to order them correctly in their place values. Use this time to discuss
why these are in this particular order with the student. After the student has ordered the collection then get them to
represent the numbers on a number line.

Number target: Make a number target mat made of hundreds, tens and ones. Give each player 5 beanbags (or
equivalent). From an agreed distance from the target, throw the beanbags onto the target. Work out the total score for
each player and write on a card. Repeat several times and determine the person with the greatest score. (Gervasoni,
A. 2004)

Extension of number target - Represent collections of number target: This activity is an extension to the
tune in activity Number target. Students will make a collection to represent their number they made with the
number target. Students will represent their number in many different ways. One example of how this could be
represented is with icy pole sticks in bundles or they could represent this number using pen and paper to create a
number line. After this students may have extra time to then number bust these collections made.

Make the largest number: Four cards are selected randomly from a set of 0-9 digit cards. After each card is
selected, each player writes the numeral in one of the boxes below. The aim is to be the person who makes the largest
three digit number. One of the numerals selected may be written in the discard box off to the right. (Gervasoni, A.
2004)

Extension of the largest number - Place Value chart and how many tens?: (this session is broken up into
two smaller activities) Using the make the largest activity, students are asked to complete a place value chart of the
number/s created. Then with this information students are asked to work out the number of tens their original
number is made up of using their place value chart created.

Subtraction Teddies: Provide each student with twenty plastic teddies, a double decker bus base board and a
strip of paper. Have the students place the twenty teddies on the bus baseboard. Instruct the students to take turns to
roll a die and subtract the corresponding number of teddies from the collection of teddies on the bus. The student
then records the number of remaining teddies on the strip of paper. The activity continues until one student reaches
zero. (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2014)

Race back to zero: Make a number line game board from 0 to 20 and a die with numerals 1, 2 and 3. Both players

begin at 20. Taking turns, each rolls the die and moves back the number of places shown on the die. Before the child
moves, ask them to predict which number they will land on and explain how they know. The goal is to be the first
player to reach 0. (Gervasoni, A. 2004)

Mathematics, Teaching & Learning Centre, Australian Catholic University. May not be copied without permission.
Ann Gervasoni (03) 5336 5300.

Emily Henderson
S00153424

Terminology of more or less: Three large A3 pieces of papers will be shown to the child with one heading on
each piece of the words more and less. The student will give ideas of words or numbers that these headings may
mean; these will be written down when talking about them as a group.

Worded problems: give the student a worded problem, with this problem they are to use materials to represent it,
and then draw that representation onto the large sheet provided. A chance should be given then to students to write
the worded problem in an equation form. Using both addition and subtraction worded problems, containing the
terminology of more or less.

Subtraction flash cards: Flash cards will be shown to shown to a child with simple subtraction equations that they
are required to solve in 10 seconds, some of the flash contain pictures (for example, 5 strawberries 2 strawberries).

Two below bingo: Make Bingo cards with numerals from 5-20. Children place a counter on a numeral on their card
if the numeral is two below the number called. From time to time ask the children to justify how they knew their
number was two below the one called. (Gervasoni, A. 2004)

Snap (more or less): A deck of cards is split in halves; one half given to each player. Both players have their pile
of cards facing down in front of them with one card faced up in the middle of the table. Taking turns, each player
places a card face up on top of the card already in the middle. Snapping at the middle pile when there is one more or
one less under the card they placed down. The game continues until all cards are used, the player with the most cards
snapped wins.

References:
Clarke, D (1998). Making a difference: Challenging and Enthusing Children for Mathematics in the Early Years. In
Exemplary Teaching and Quality Learning: Sharing the Journey. Early Years of Schooling P-4
Conference, May.
Gervasoni, A (2004). Extending Mathematical Understanding: Intervention program specialist teacher manual. Ballarat:
Ballarat Heritage Services
Gervasoni, A (2005). Opening doors to successful number learning for those who are vulnerable. MAV Annual
Conference
K-5 Math Teaching Resources. (2014). Counting Activities. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.k5mathteachingresources.com/Counting-Activities.html [Accessed: 1 Apr 2014].
NSW Department of Education and Training. (2014). Developing efficient numeracy strategies. [online] Retrieved from:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/mathematics/assets/pdf/stage1/subt
eddies.pdf [Accessed: 1 Apr 2014].

Rogers, A (2000). Investigating in the Early years. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom. Volume 5 (4)

Mathematics, Teaching & Learning Centre, Australian Catholic University. May not be copied without permission.
Ann Gervasoni (03) 5336 5300.