Introducing Week 3

In Weeks 2 and 3, we focus on two key Singapore mathematics teaching methods.

Last week we looked at concrete tasks using the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach. This approach builds on ideas from the psychologist Jerome Bruner and describes how mathematical skills and concepts can be taught effectively. This is achieved by starting off with something concrete, then using visualisations and imagery, and finally working towards abstract notations.

This week we will look at a specific pictorial method, the Bar Model method. This is a visual approach, and the way it is used is itself an example of CPA. It can aid understanding of fractions, ratios and percentages. We start with a general explanation of what the Bar Model method is. We then ask you to complete several bar model tasks, which you can compare with some model solutions we have prepared. Finally, we pull all this together and ask you to reflect how you can use these skills in the classroom.