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FSEM - New Primary Maths Curriculum for Fifth & Sixth Class

The way forward.

About the Course

It’s a landmark moment - 25 years later, a New Primary Mathematics Curriculum (NPMC) has arrived!

Summer 2023 is when all teachers in schools and classes across Ireland engage with and get to grips with this New Primary Mathematics Curriculum.

If you teach Fifth or Sixth Class (or both), then this is the course for you. On successful completion of this course, you will go forth into September 2023, ready to teach to the guidance and aspirations of the NPMC.

It’s time to find out what it’s all about!

Come September; you will create better mathematical learning experiences for your students, experiences that are more real, more engaging, more cognitively challenging and just at the right level. 

The New Primary Mathematics Curriculum requires us to understand, develop, apply and implement such key ideas as:

  • Incorporating Mathematical Modelling
  • Creating Cognitively Challenging Tasks
  • Fostering Productive Disposition
  • Promoting Maths Talk
  • Implementing Formative Assessment
  • Building Conceptual Understanding
  • Supporting Adaptive Reasoning
  • Enabling Procedural Fluency 
  • Fostering Strategic Competence 
  • Developing Mathematical Concepts

These ideas permeate all 5 strands, 15 strand units and the 4 elements pertaining to each learning outcome.

We explain, spotlight and bring clarity to all of the above ideas and more.

We detail a volume of learner experiences that incorporate and exemplify these ideas.

You return to the classroom in September, ready to begin experimenting with and incorporating some of the new ideas and approaches that are the hallmarks of the New Primary Maths Curriculum.

It is time to take a left turn, leave the old road behind and accelerate onto Highway NPMC!

We point the way.

Enrol, hop in and let’s drive on together!

We have reached an agreement with Oxford University Press that all Irish teachers teaching in a school in Ireland enrolling on this mathematics course will have four months FREE full access to its wonderful, newly updated Numicon Online platform.  

This will give you access to 1,600+ Numicon activities and lessons distributed across the Strands and Strand units. You will also have a chance to explore the full version of the Numicon Interactive Whiteboard Software. Not only will you derive lots of ideas and experience on what constitutes effective practice, but this is also an ideal opportunity to determine if the Numicon platform is suitable for your school.

All participants will also receive a set of Six Bricks in the post. Throughout the course we will introduce you to the excitement, the power, the potential and interactivity of a concept called SBAC.

‘Six Bricks Answer Code’ or SBAC for short, is a test mechanism developed by CPD College Ireland, that is now being used in schools around the world. SBAC can be used across all strands and strand units of the New Primary Mathematics Curriculum.

Please note that this course, which is approved by the Department of Education, is based on the Draft Curriculum documents and the most recent information available from the NCCA. 

NOTE:

The online format of this course enables you to study at a time and place that best suits your own needs. 

You can access your course anytime until March 31st 2024.

Within this highly interactive web-based course, a dynamic learning experience awaits, where you can interact with your fellow course participants through the in-course chat forums and communication tools provided by the CPD College learning system. 

Our friendly and knowledgeable tutors actively support each course, providing expert interaction, guidance and feedback for all participants on chat questions and assignments which call for critical reflection, self-analysis and a reasoned response. 

On successful completion of your course, you can download and print off your CPD record and certificate of completion.

We look forward to welcoming you to your course.

Learning outcomes

This course aims to:

  • Introduce the structure, components and requirements of the New Primary Maths Curriculum (NPMC)
  • Prepare all participants to implement key pedagogical approaches, develop mathematical proficiency, concepts and deliver for learner outcomes and progression across the five strands using quality learner experiences
  • Equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to create more ‘cognitively challenging tasks’ in fifth and sixth class and to incorporate a ‘maths eyes’ and ‘maths talk’ approach to mathematics
  • Prepare teachers to make ‘mathematical modelling’ and ‘maths talk’ part of their normal practice
  • Incorporate effective use of digital objects/resources
  • Enable teachers to identify improvements in their practice by reflecting against relevant standards and statements of practice from LAOS 2022
Modules
01 - The NPMC & Algebra: We introduce teachers to the key findings, structures, components and requirements of the NPMC that will illuminate and underpin your new approaches to mathematics teaching and learning in fifth and sixth class. Many rich learning experiences for building concepts and achieving the learning outcomes for algebra in fifth and sixth class are presented, discussed and explored.  We provide examples of the proven ‘mathematical modelling’ teaching approach to maths and explore activities, tasks and problems that benefit from a modelling approach, supporting understanding over memorisation.
02 - Number: We present several rich learning experiences to support teaching and learning across the three strand units of 'Number' in fifth and sixth class.  How to design cognitively challenging tasks to engage pupils in meaningful learning maths activities for 'Number' is explored throughout the module. We also guide you on how to incorporate opportunities for children to develop procedural fluency when working with 'Number'. 
03 - Measures: This module starts with an exploration of the 'maths talk' approach, where children's thinking, strategies and ideas are discussed, shared and/or exchanged.  We detail, present and enable you to create rich learning experiences to enable the children to achieve the learning outcomes for the 'Measures' strand.  The concept of adaptive reasoning and how to develop it when teaching measures is also discussed and explained. 
04 - Shape & Space: Numerous rich learning experiences for building concepts and achieving the learning outcomes for the 'Shape & Space' strand are presented throughout the module. We explore how to utilise a 'Maths Eyes' approach to making mathematics more visible in children's surroundings and to enable them to make connections in shape & space. Proficiency in conceptual understanding is also explored in the context of this strand. 
05 - Data and Chance: We present many rich learning experiences to support the teaching and learning of 'Data and Chance'. We offer practical suggestions on how to create an inclusive, purposeful, pupil-centred mathematics learning environment.  Finally, the concept of productive disposition and how to develop it when teaching 'Data and Chance' is explored in detail.