Bit by bit, the ORT foundation phase maths project hopes to create a generation of learners who love the subject.
The ORT maths projects were started in 2008 after the organisation recognised the need to support educators teaching maths at the foundation phase, particularly in previously-disadvantaged areas.
The programme, in association with BidVest, started out with a small group of dedicated facilitators providing support and training to 60 grade one teachers from 12 schools in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra.
Now in its second year, the focus will be expanded to include grade two teachers at the participating schools, meaning they will reach close to 2000 learners in 2009.
Ariellah Rosenberg, head of education empowerment at ORT, says the aim of the programme ‘differs from others in that the main focus is enhancing the skills of the teachers, which in turn will benefit several groups of learners’.
“We believe that by supporting schools with an intense training programme and ongoing classroom support we can build the skills of our teachers so that they can use material successfully…and allow the learners to grow as mathematical thinkers,” she explains.
The project is split into two areas; ‘Maths for All’ and the Singapore Programme, both endorsed by the department of education.
“The ‘Maths for All’ programme is offered to six schools in the area, and is closely aligned to the National Curriculum Statement,” says Rosenberg.
“This means that the focus is more Outcomes-based.”
The Singapore programme on the other hand is borrowed from the system used in that country, which has ‘consistently been among the top performers in international mathematics tests’.
“Their system is much more structured and rigid than our own, and aims for the learner to master foundation phase mathematics.”
Each week educators attend a two-hour programme covering the fundamentals of their subject and the programmes facilitators also do class visits to ensure the lessons are being implemented correctly.
“We conducted teacher competency testing before and after the programme was started, and there has definitely been an improvement in their understanding of the concepts.”
However, there are some difficulties facing the project facilitators. While the ‘Maths for All’ resources are available in the home language of the learners, the Singapore System material is only available in English, making it difficult for the learners to understand at times.
Despite this, Rosenberg says the response from the teachers involved has been amazing.
“The dedication from the educators has been simply amazing. Often the workshops run over time as the teachers want to learn as much as possible before returning to their classrooms.”