Australian students’ performance and engagement in mathematics is an ongoing issue. International studies show Australian students’ mean performance in maths has steadily declined since 2003. The latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018 showed only 10% of Australian teenagers scored in the top two levels, compared to 44% in China and 37% in Singapore. Despite attempts to […] … learn more→

For about a decade now, mathematicians and mathematics educators have been weighing in on a particular debate rooted in school mathematics that shows no signs of abating. The debate, covered by Slate, Popular Mechanics, The New York Times and many other outlets, is focused on an equation that went so “viral” that it, eventually, was lumped with other phenomena that […] … learn more→

Let’s say you’re a parent helping a Grade 1 child with their math, and they’re subtracting eight from 17, using small items — counters — like Smarties, multicoloured Rocket candies or Lego pieces. The child counts out 17 items. Then, they count eight of those items to take away. Finally, they start counting the remaining […] … learn more→

The consequences of the coronavirus epidemic forces us to confine ourselves to our homes, often with school-age children. They have been left without their usual classes for a period that can last from the fifteen days initially planned to more than a month. These unforeseen circumstances have caught the teachers by surprise, who are hardly trying […] … learn more→

If you’re a parent of a preschooler, you might be wondering how you can help set your child up for success once they enter kindergarten. By now, you have probably heard of the importance of reading and talking to your child to support their language and literacy skills. You may have even made reading, talking and learning the ABCs part […] … learn more→

Although going to college offers the promise of engaging with new ideas and learning new skills, when it comes to math, the experience can sometimes be like high school all over again. In a new study of more than 5,000 students in two- and four-year colleges across the nation, I found that roughly one in five took a math course […] … learn more→