Liz: As a staff we got together and we looked at the strategies that we wanted to include, we felt were working well, would work well in each different primary stage.
So we identified which strategies would be introduced and which strategies would be consolidated. And we came up with a programme where children would develop as they moved through the school. Alongside the programme we felt there was a need for resourcing. So each primary stage has a resource folder, and within that the contents identifies strategies. And behind that we have examples of processed problems that will give the children experience of the strategy development.
We also graded them according to circle, triangle, square, circle being those that we felt were the easiest ones and the squares being the more challenging ones. Along with that we produced an annual plan for the teachers to complete on a termly basis where they'd identify which strategies they wanted to focus on per term, and which resources they would use. We also have identified the need for open ended enquiry, and we have encouraged people to do at least two per year, more if possible.
Neil: Our former Head teacher Mrs Murphy was always very interested in problem solving and she viewed mathematics in the widest sense, as a problem solving activity where children should be challenged to think and to ask questions. And in my experience in the school it was a school that had lots of good problem solving resources and has had for quite some time. And teachers had a wide variety of sources from which to choose their activities. And there were a lot of different types of problems. There were puzzles and investigations and word problems and so on.
What we didn't have was a clear progression in skills and strategies from primary one through to primary seven. But that all changed when Mrs Cross our primary seven teacher attended an inset on problem solving about three years ago. And she came back enthusing about what she'd seen to Mr Torbett our head teacher and myself. We saw this as an ideal opportunity to provide the staff with a central core of resources. And also it would give us the progression from primary one through to primary seven.
What we did was we went away and had a look at all the materials and we split them into four different folders. We have an orange folder, which is specifically designed for infants and that basically focuses on patterns. We have blue folder, which is for easier problems, and it would be introduced around about primary 3. And a red folder, which is more intermediate problems, it may be introduced around about primary 5 time. And then we have a green folder for the upper school and the more able pupils, which would be introduced from primary six. They have different strategies in each folder.
Ann: Several years ago we had - we looked at problem solving as a school, and where we were going with it. And we had in-service training on it. And we had a big new folder, you know, which we worked from. Now it's broken down in six strategies and there's problems for early, middle and upper primary in it.
The way that we're using it at the moment P1 and 2 do the first two strategies which I think are listing and patterns. Then P3 and 4 will continue with these strategies and two more strategies will be introduced. And then in the upper school all six strategies are used.