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=Making maths marvellous with manchester, movement and manipulatives=

In mathematics lessons, everyday colourful objects and items that are found around the house or classroom like tablecloths, tea towels, paddle pop sticks, matchsticks, paper plates and cups, pegs, elastics, wool, string, different types of dice, counters, tiles, blocks, playing cards, dominoes, coloured cardboard and paper, to name just a few, can become useful tools for engaging students in a variety of learning experiences. Well thought out, ‘good’ questions along with ‘open’ investigations, discussions and reflections should be an integral part of these experiences. Then mathematical concepts - number, algebra, measurement, space, chance and data - can be interwoven and connected through sensory and physical activities to support the building of students’ thinking, and construction of new knowledge and understandings.

//Contact: ////Gabrielle (Gay) West (BSc, Grad Dip Teach, Masters Education) has been a teacher of Transition to Year 9 students in Queensland and the Northern Territory for over 20 years. She has been able to share her passion and enthusiasm for Mathematics teaching in her roles as a Numeracy Project Officer working with Northern Territory teachers both in Central Australian remote and urban schools and then in Darwin as a Numeracy Assessment and Reporting Officer. Since 2004, she has presented workshops at a number of local, Territory-wide, National and International conferences – Mathematics Teachers Association NT (MTANT), Remote Schools, Special Education, Early Education, Mathematics Association of Victoria (MAV) and New Zealand Mathematics Teachers Association (NZAMT) Conferences. She has published mathematical papers and produced a wide variety of support resources for teachers. gabrielle.west@nt.gov.au //