Across the school we use the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach with all ages and all abilities. Our topic for the last two weeks has been learning about ratio. Children used counters to lay out the ratio and this enabled them to see the relationship of the parts to the whole. This then allowed the children to progress to the pictorial representation of the counters, again allowing them to gain a deep understanding of the relationships involved in each part.
By having a visual representation the children are able to make connections and a deep understanding of the maths involved and processes and therefore were then able to visualise calculations and perform them. Once they had mastered ratio, they looked at proportion. Again the CPA approach allowed children to gain secure understanding and use this to reason and solve problems.
The next task was to look at the link between ratio and scaling up and down. The children were able to look at this in real life situations and used actual plans of the Adam Gemili block (where Year 6 call home!) to look at the scale drawings and check the ratio to actual measurements. We also looked at the use of scale ratio in maps and models – the connection of maths and the real world. Great effort by Year 6 for the first two weeks after the Easter break.
The challenge for next unit of work: Algebra!