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Why Maths Trek's teaching sequence makes sense

Maths Trek 6/6/24

All teachers know that devising a comprehensive instructional sequence for mathematics can be incredibly time-consuming, and often involves complex mental gymnastics … In which order will I teach the topics? How can I embed revision and assessment? How can I ensure knowledge is cumulative over the course of the year?

Maths Trek ensures educators can employ pedagogically robust methods of instruction while also comprehensively covering the curriculum requirements. Our maths content experts (all classroom teachers with decades of experience) have spent years developing a sequence that allows for all of this and more. Maths Trek’s linear teaching sequence is a carefully crafted road map, guiding students from Foundation to Year 6 on a journey from basic to more complex maths concepts.

Let’s unpack some of the key features of Maths Trek’s teaching sequence:

The planning is done, the curriculum is covered!

As a teacher, a critical challenge lies in ensuring your yearly plan comprehensively addresses the curriculum requirements to prevent any gaps in your students’ learning. With Maths Trek, all the heavy lifting has been done for you! The scope and sequence has been taken care of and Maths Trek has been specifically written to match the new Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.

See how the planning unfolds with our scope and sequence and curriculum documents:

• Scope and Sequence F–6

• Australian Curriculum Match v9 (Years F–6
• Victorian Curriculum Match v2 (Years F–6)
• NSW Syllabus Alignment Guide (Early Stage 1–Stage 3)


A systematic and explicit approach

Research into the science of maths indicates that maths instruction must be explicit and systematic^{1 2}. Maths Trek delivers on both fronts.

Explicit instruction

Explicit instruction is at the heart of all Maths Trek lessons. To effectively cover the content included in the Yearly Plans, Maths Trek Online includes resources such as lesson guides and slideshows to help teachers explicitly teach topics, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Systematic sequence

In Maths Trek, students are introduced to core concepts systematically and cumulatively. When students gradually build their knowledge, they can comprehend new concepts more effortlessly. This approach ensures a smooth progression from one concept to the next, facilitating the scaffolding of mathematical concepts and boosting students’ capacity and confidence in tackling new challenges. The benefits of Maths Trek’s systematic sequence are enhanced when implemented across the whole school, where knowledge has been carefully planned across all year levels from Foundation to Year 6.

Carefully spaced topics and in-depth investigations

Each year level in Maths Trek has carefully spaced topics to ensure students encounter a range of concepts each week. Maths Trek’s ‘spaced’ approach is informed by Dr Paul Swan’s research where he advocates a block of lessons covering related topics, before providing students with opportunities to apply these skills and make connections.³

Maths Trek investigations are designed to support this approach, embedding investigations after three to five units of work. Students can apply the concepts they have learned in previous weeks to unfamiliar, extended mathematical problems found in the investigations. This application of knowledge allows students to make real-world connections with their learning from a range of topics across varied strands.

Built-in revision and assessment

This is perhaps one of the biggest time-saving perks of following the Maths Trek Yearly Plans. The linear sequence of instruction allows Maths Trek to provide ready-made revision activities and assessments, which specifically relate to preceding topics. A dedicated revision unit is included twice per term to allow students to consolidate previously learned content and provide teachers with timely opportunities to check in on student learning. Termly summative assessments are also included to provide teachers with formal opportunities to assess student understanding and help inform overall student achievements in mathematics.

Can I change the Maths Trek sequence to suit my own sequence?

We understand that for various reasons not all teachers will want to follow the recommended Maths Trek Yearly Plan. If you choose to use Maths Trek flexibly, and teach content in a different sequence, keep in mind that you may no longer be able to use the embedded revision activities, assessments and investigations, as they may no longer align with the concepts you teach each term.

If your school chooses to deviate from the sequence, you can download the Maths Trek Editable Yearly Plans to help create your own teaching plan. Each excel spreadsheet includes all the topics in a given year level, so you can copy, paste and move topics into a new order that suits your own sequence of instruction.

To download the Editable Yearly Plans:

• Log in to your account and open Maths Trek.
• Navigate to the Yearly Plans button at the top right-hand side of your home page.
• Select Editable Yearly Plans
• Read the information and download the relevant year level spreadsheet.

References

1. Codding, RS, Peltier, C & Campbell, J 2023, ‘Introducing the Science of Math’, TEACHING Exceptional Children, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 6-11, doi:10.1177/00400599221121721↩

2. Stockard, J, Wood, TW, Coughlin, C & Khoury, CR 2018, ‘The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction Curricula: A Meta-Analysis of a Half Century of Research’, Review of Educational Research, vol. 88, no. 4, pp. 479-507, doi:10.3102/0034654317751919↩

3. Swan, P 2021, A Guide to Teacher Planning, https://drpaulswan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Guide-to-Teacher-Planning.pdf↩

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