The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has introduced a new approach to encourage children to develop their skills in mental mathematics.

The approach uses new Mental Maths Flip Books to sharpen mental calculation skills of children in Grades R to 6.

The WCED is currently training teachers on how to use the books to encourage young learners practice their skills in mental mathematics.

The WCED has appointed a task team to strengthen the department’s strategies to improve learner performance in mathematics, following assessments, which have shown that most Grade 3 learners have difficulty handling mathematics at the Grade 3 level.

Teachers have responded very well to the flip books, which are among a range of strategies being implemented by the WCED to develop learners’ mathematical skills.

Jenny Rault-Smith, Director of Curriculum Development at the WCED, said: "The flip books help to develop the mental agility of children using a medium that is fun to use."

The WCED is providing the books for each class teacher from Grade R to Grade 6 in public ordinary and special schools with Foundation and Intermediate Phase learners.

Mental mathematics relates to the ability to calculate mentally. The WCED would like every learner to practice their mental mathematics skills for 10 minutes every day, using exercises appropriate for their ages and developmental levels.

The flip books will assist teaches in providing these exercises.

A Mental Mathematics Flip Book looks like a desk calendar that can stand by itself. The book provides 150 mental mathematics activities, enough for one activity per day for Grades 1 to 6. The Grade R version provides 100 activities.

The activities focus on two outcomes required by the mathematics curriculum, namely, that the learner should be able to:

1. Recognise, describe and represent numbers and their relationships, and to count, estimate, calculate and check with competence and confidence in solving problems, and

2. Recognise, describe and represent patterns and relationships, as well as to solve problems using algebraic language and skills.

Each daily activity lists relevant assessment standards and some strategies the teacher can use to teach the activity. The activities are grouped according to certain concepts and are also arranged to facilitate progression. The activities should be followed in the order in which they are given.

The mental mathematics exercises are designed to reinforce and consolidate prior learning. Teachers therefore have to teach the concepts involved before taking children through the exercises.

The WCED is encouraging teachers to use the flip books on a daily basis as part of their everyday teaching schedule and lesson plan.

The department acknowledges that working paces vary from class to class. Teachers can add more questions when activities seem to be too short, and can revisit concepts, when activities seem to be too difficult. Teachers should be aware of how individual learners are coping with the activities and offer support to those who are experiencing difficulty.

The WCED’s Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) in every school district in the Western Cape are organising workshops on how to use the flip books.

"While simple to use, the books offer a well-designed, systematic approach to developing mental mathematics skills over the course of a year. We are confident that they will contribute to improving numeracy skills in Grades R to 6 in coming years," Ms Rault-Smith said.