20250730 MAV25 synopsis - Flipbook - Page 74
SESSION C: Thursday, 2pm-3pm (cont.)
This session will leave you with ready-to-use resources and
techniques to embed visual, explicit teaching into your
everyday mathematics practice.
C06 EXPLORE, DISCOVER, UNDERSTAND:
CUISENAIRE RODS IN THE PRIMARY
CLASSROOM
Key takeaways: 1. Explicitly teach concepts using hands-on
tools and visual representations.
Subtheme: Pedagogy and curriculum
2. Use practical, differentiated resources to support student
thinking and connection-making.
3. Encourage visual sharing of strategies to build confidence,
collaboration, and rich discussion.
Remember:
Open mind and a willingness to participate in hands on
investigations.
C05 ANTICIPATING LEARNING: PLANNING
FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
Subtheme: Pedagogy and curriculum
Brendan Hodge, Orchard Park Primary School, Chris
Terlich, Inverloch Primary School
(F to Year 6)
How do teachers effectively anticipate and plan for student
learning? With planning identified as a key element of the
Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0, this
session explores how two schools approach this critical
phase of practice. Participants will gain insight into how
anticipation—thinking ahead about what students might
say, do, or misunderstand—can strengthen lesson design
and student outcomes. Through practical examples and real
classroom strategies, this session will unpack how anticipating
student responses shapes purposeful learning activities and
sharpens instructional decision-making. Join us to explore
how intentional planning not only improves teacher clarity,
but also enhances student thinking, engagement and growth.
Key takeaways:
1. Understanding how to anticipate student learning.
2. Purposeful learning activities.
3. Practical examples from two different school settings.
THE MATHEMATICAL
ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA
74
Antonio Sterich, Roxburgh Park Primary School
(F to Year 6)
This practical session will empower primary teachers to
build students’ understanding of algebraic structures using
Cuisenaire rods and templates, guided by the Concrete–
Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) model of teaching. Participants will
explore how hands-on manipulation of Cuisenaire rods can
make number relationships, equivalence, and early algebraic
thinking visible and meaningful for learners. The session
will demonstrate ways to bridge the concrete experience
with pictorial representations and symbolic expressions,
helping students connect patterns, generalise, and justify
their thinking. Teachers will engage in activities they can
adapt for different year levels to foster curiosity, reasoning,
and mathematical language. By using rods and templates
strategically, teachers can cultivate a classroom culture of
discovery, where students investigate mathematical structures
rather than memorise procedures. Participants will leave with
practical strategies, lesson ideas, and confidence to integrate
this powerful approach into everyday maths teaching to
develop flexible and connected mathematical thinkers.
Key takeaways:
1. Activities with Cuisenaire rods and templates to make
abstract algebraic ideas accessible for students.
2. Moving students from concrete manipulation (using
Cuisenaire rods) to pictorial representations (using
templates) and then to abstract symbols, supporting
conceptual understanding.
3. Create classroom environments where students explore,
notice patterns, make generalisations, and communicate their
mathematical thinking.
