Aims of The Square Project

The primary aim of the project was to

improve learning in mathematics in poorly resourced

classrooms through using squared blackboards

and squared paper.

A secondary aim was to

stimulate the local production of educational

materials by using boards made by local

carpenters and books printed at a local press

The squared boards help teachers to improve their teaching by

· Improving the clarity of instruction through the drawing

of clear and accurate diagrams and the ordered layout of numbers.

· Providing an interactive blackboard based form of teaching with

which teachers feel comfortable.

· Increasing the amount of interaction between teacher and pupils.

· Stimulating active learning.

· Increasing the extent to which the teacher makes use of the children’s own work

The squared book allows pupils to

· Make exact copies of the teacher’s blackboard work

· Lay out their work in a neat and systematic way

· Learn mathematics through ordered exploration and guided investigation

A particular method of presentation in the classroom has developed as the ideas

stimulated by the project have been tried out in the classroom.

The Method is summarized as the 4C method!

Copy

The teacher begins the lesson by drawing a diagram on the board and this is presented step by step by the teacher and copied by the class into their squared books.

Continue/Complete

After the children has worked a few examples that the class has copied then the teacher challenges the class to continue and complete some examples of their own

Create

In this section of the lesson children are encouraged to explore and investigate the concept which has been carefully introduced.

Collect

Just as the children are able to copy examples from the board using the squares as guidelines so they are able to transfer examples of their work on to the board for all to see. Knowing that they are going to display their work makes the activity more purposeful for the children

For examples of lessons click here

The Square Project was developed at Leeds University and was a collaboration between staff in The School of Education and Primary and Secondary School teachers in Sierra Leone.