Big Maths is a structured numeracy program designed primarily for primary school children. It helps them develop a deep understanding of essential mathematical concepts and skills. Created by Ben Harding in the UK, this framework has been successfully adopted in schools across the UK and abroad.
The central aim of Big Maths is to make mathematics both fun and accessible for young learners, focusing on building solid numeracy foundations through incremental and logical steps.
What Makes Big Maths Different?
At its core, Big Maths provides a clear and progressive structure for teaching mathematics. The program is split into several key components designed to foster confidence and accuracy in math. The focus is on teaching through a well-defined sequence, ensuring that no child is left behind, and that gaps in learning are quickly identified and addressed.
The Big Maths framework revolves around a few core concepts:
CLIC: Counting, Learn Its, It’s Nothing New, and Calculation.
SAFE: Shape, Amounts, Fractions, and Explaining data.
Beat That: A regular challenge-based assessment method designed to track student progress.
By breaking down learning into small, manageable chunks, children are better equipped to understand and recall mathematical facts.
Breaking Down Big Maths: The Key Components
The CLIC Framework
CLIC is the bedrock of Big Maths and outlines the natural order in which children learn mathematics:
Counting: This is the first step in learning, helping children understand numbers through counting sequences.
Learn Its: These are essential number facts, including addition and multiplication tables, that children must know by heart.
It’s Nothing New: This part teaches children to apply what they have already learned (i.e., learned facts and counting) to new problems.
Calculation: Finally, children combine counting and known facts to carry out calculations. This could involve adding or subtracting larger numbers or applying multiplication facts.
Each stage in CLIC builds logically on the last, ensuring that children progress through mathematical concepts in a way that’s intuitive and cumulative. Teachers assess students weekly on these concepts to ensure consistent progress.
SAFE: Beyond Basic Math
While CLIC focuses on core skills, the SAFE component of Big Maths is where children explore broader areas of the mathematics curriculum. The acronym stands for:
Shape: Understanding geometric shapes and their properties.
Amounts: Handling various quantities, measurements, and units.
Fractions: Learning about parts of a whole and division.
Explaining Data: Interpreting and explaining data through charts, graphs, and other visual methods.
SAFE challenges encourage problem-solving, application of mathematical principles to real-life situations, and the exploration of different strategies to solve the same problem.
Big Maths Beat That!
A key feature of Big Maths is its assessment program called “Beat That!” This involves two main challenges:
CLIC Challenge: A series of questions focusing on the core mathematical skills from the CLIC framework. The goal is for children to beat their own previous scores each week.
Learn Its Challenge: This tests the child’s ability to recall number facts like times tables and addition facts quickly and accurately.
These assessments provide immediate feedback and allow teachers to pinpoint where students may be struggling. The “Beat That” aspect adds a competitive yet supportive element, where children are encouraged to improve their scores, which promotes a sense of achievement and motivation.
The Learning Journey with Big Maths
Incremental Learning
The structure of Big Maths allows for incremental learning, where children advance through clear “progress drives.” For example, in the counting phase, children move from simple number recognition to reading numbers, counting on, and eventually manipulating numbers in larger calculations. This helps prevent gaps in learning, as each child is assessed on their current step, and new learning is only introduced once they have mastered the previous one.
Immediate Feedback and Continuous Assessment
Weekly assessments ensure that children are consistently tested on what they have learned. Any gaps in knowledge are quickly addressed before moving on to more complex tasks. Teachers can track progress using online tools, and students receive instant results, reinforcing a growth mindset.
Why Schools and Parents Love Big Maths
Clarity and Simplicity
Big Maths is particularly popular because of its clear structure and focus on the basics of numeracy. Teachers, parents, and students all appreciate its straightforward approach. It’s designed to demystify math, making it easier to teach, understand, and apply.
Focus on Fluency
The Learn Its section is designed to ensure children achieve fluency in essential math facts. By mastering multiplication tables, addition facts, and basic calculations, students build a strong foundation that they can rely on throughout their education.
Fun and Engagement
Big Maths incorporates games, challenges, and rewards that make math enjoyable. The competitive yet individual aspect of “Beat That” helps children stay motivated. Many schools celebrate individual progress by printing certificates or displaying results, adding an element of celebration to learning.
Adaptable for All Learners
The system is adaptable, meaning that teachers can use it with all children, regardless of ability. Whether a child needs more support or is excelling in mathematics, the incremental nature of the program ensures that every child progresses at the right pace.
Challenges and Considerations
While Big Maths has been widely praised for its structured approach, some teachers have noted that it requires a commitment to regular assessment and tracking. Schools need to allocate time each week for CLIC and Learn Its challenges, as well as the subsequent data entry and analysis. However, the benefits of identifying learning gaps early far outweigh this administrative burden.
Additionally, while Big Maths does offer comprehensive support for core numeracy skills, some educators may feel that the broader aspects of mathematics (e.g., problem-solving in real-life contexts or creative mathematical thinking) require supplementary resources beyond what Big Maths offers. That said, the SAFE component does address some of these concerns by incorporating shape, fractions, and data explanation into the curriculum.
FAQs
Q: How does Big Maths help children learn times tables?
A: Big Maths uses “Learn Its” to help children memorize times tables up to 10×10. Instead of teaching all facts at once, it focuses on 36 core facts and avoids redundancy (like 7×2 and 2×7). This targeted approach makes it easier for children to learn times tables and become fluent in multiplication, which is important for later math.
Q: What is the Big Maths “Beat That!” challenge?
A: “Beat That!” is a weekly assessment to measure progress in Big Maths. It includes the CLIC challenge (counting, number facts, calculations) and the Learn Its challenge (multiplication tables, addition facts). Children aim to improve their scores each week, which helps teachers identify knowledge gaps and keeps learning fun and engaging.
Q: How does Big Maths track and assess student progress?
A: Big Maths tracks student progress through regular challenges and assessments. Teachers can see learning gaps in real-time and provide targeted support. Challenges can be done online or printed, and scores are automatically tracked. This ensures that every child’s progress is monitored and issues are addressed quickly.
The Road Ahead: Is Big Maths the Right Program for Your School?
Big Maths has proven to be a highly effective tool for teaching primary-aged children essential numeracy skills. Its structured, logical approach to learning ensures that students build confidence and competence in math.
The combination of CLIC for core skills and SAFE for broader mathematical knowledge creates a well-rounded program that’s easy for both teachers and students to follow.
While no program is without its challenges, the incremental and straightforward nature of Big Maths makes it a valuable resource for many schools. It not only helps children develop math skills but also fosters a positive attitude towards learning through its fun and engaging challenges.
In an increasingly data-driven educational environment, Big Maths stands out for its commitment to continuous assessment and progress tracking, making it a powerful tool for building lifelong math skills. Whether used as a core program or alongside other resources, Big Maths is a worthwhile investment for any primary school looking to improve math outcomes.
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