Teaching maths through stories (oral or written) can be a powerful pedagogical tool to support children’s learning of mathematical concepts and apply their learning in an engaging context. Stories can be easily implemented into lessons, group work or interventions with plenty of benefits to offer in the learning process such as boosted engagement, developing vocabulary or applying skills and knowledge into contexts to name but a few.
What Are Mathematical Stories?
A ‘mathematical story’ is a narrative where the characters use their mathematical skills and knowledge to help them solve a problem or dilemma. The maths theme involved can be easily explored by the children who, in turn, are able to transfer their learning in a cross curricular way. The layout and format of mathematical stories is infinite varying from picture and chapter books to comics or even mangas (Japanese comics) popular among teenage learners.
Why Teach Maths Through Stories?
Using stories to teach mathematics is an effective teaching style that is becoming progressively more popular as studies have found and emphasized the innumerable benefits of this approach.
- Boost engagement
One of the main advantages of maths through stories is the engagement boosting potential it has. It allows children to learn more about the plot and the characters of a story, deepening understanding. Through using maths to investigate how characters can solve the dilemma they face, children are able to apply their maths skills in implicit, cross-curricular ways bending the traditional stand-alone lessons structure.
- Develop vocabulary
Teaching stories through maths provides opportunities for children to apply mathematical vocabulary in other contexts. A textualized approach to teach maths effectively contributes to language acquisition, reading comprehension and working memory.
- Meaningful contexts
It allows children to use their mathematical skills and knowledge to investigate contextual problems in truly authentic ways. Traditional maths word problems have become meme-worthy in recent years, with the popular Chen making his annual appearance in Year 6 SATs papers or word problems where subjects are buying 834 watermelons, these are simply now real life, contextualised situations making and don’t allow for children to dive deeper and apply their maths learning in systematic ways to solve problem. Teaching maths through stories tackles this issue, allowing children to use their understanding of the characters to visualise abstract mathematical concepts allowing them to solve problems and apply their maths skills and knowledge.
- Solidify learning
Through exploring maths in this way, it allows children to reinforce skills they are learning by applying their knowledge in other ways, not just through calculations in their maths books. It means that children strengthen their conceptual understanding allowing a mastery level of learning.
Considering all the above, the “Maths & Move” program includes as part of its final output the creation of e-books (interactive and non-interactive) so that pupils can enjoy and take advantage of the benefits of the narrative approach to mathematics. By combining movement in mathematical activities as well as reading/telling stories all types of students, including those with special learning difficulties, will surely find the teaching approach that suits them best with the ultimate goal of breaking down the prevailing, until today, view that mathematics is a subject they cannot handle successfully.
REFERENCES
Cat Allott, “Exploring Maths Through Stories”, Twinkl, https://www.twinkl.gr/blog/exploring-maths-through-stories