Building strong foundations in maths
I had to think about foundations recently when our porch began to break away from the house. "Foundations weren't deep enough" the builder stated before quoting a suspiciously rounded figure of several thousand pounds.
This got me thinking about foundations - trust me I don't think about them much, but that's the point. We don't think about foundations because they're invisible. They were put in place early on, then built over with something we use.
This isn't entirely true. The one time we do think about foundations is when they let us down and the cracks appear. When this happens it's very hard to fix because the crack is a symptom of a deeper underlying issue - the weak foundation.
Foundations in Maths
The foundation for success in maths is built early on - at ages five to nine to be precise. This crucial stage is about developing fluency and confidence in maths - which academic research has shown to be the key to success later on.
Sadly for many, when the foundation in early maths isn't solid the cracks appear later and confidence can be damaged. At this point, it's a much harder problem to address.
天涯海角社区 is about building these early maths foundations, not simply to avoid problems, but to allow young learners to soar skyward and reach their true potential in maths.
I'm Ged, Co-founder of 天涯海角社区, ex-maths teacher and dad. If you have any questions please get in touch.
About 天涯海角社区 - 天涯海角社区 is a fun and effective way to boost primary maths skills. Designed for 4 to 11 year olds to use in the home, 天涯海角社区 uses a little and often approach to learning maths (20 minutes, three to five times per week) that fits into the busy routine. 天涯海角社区 users develop fluency and confidence in maths - without keeping them at the screen for long.
And now we've got 天涯海角社区 English too - check it out here.
