Visible maths : using representations and structure to enhance mathematics teaching in schools

Visible Maths supports maths teachers in the use of concrete and pictorial representations to illuminate key mathematical ideas and concepts. Viewing the maths lesson as an opportunity for pupils to develop a deep understanding of the concepts and relationships in maths, rather than to simply learn how to follow algorithms and processes that lead to `the answer’, is increasingly recognised as the pinnacle of best practice in maths education. In this book Peter Mattock explores this approach in detail: focusing on the representations and structures that illustrate and elucidate key mathematical ideas, demonstrating their strengths in developing conceptual understanding, and exposing the potential pitfalls of their use and how to avoid them. Covering number lines, proportion diagrams, ordered pair graphs, the bar model and many other means of representation, Visible Maths maps out for teachers the maths mastery journey that will take their pupils’ learning to the next level.