Mathematics has played a big part in the way that my practice has developed. It is increasingly apparent the role that mathematics plays not only in the teaching and learning sense but indeed in everyday life.

Having had the opportunity to teach children from four to twelve years through various placements, both in college and in university, I have seen that the way in which mathematics is approached and taught for the various ages differs. From my experiences, I have seen teachers teach mathematics in many simple strategies by explaining the very basic methods to using contextual examples to allow the children to understand the particular topic. Recently during my MA1 placement I had the responsibility of taking a small maths group on a regular basis as well as the whole class. The lesson plans for those differing situations varied but the conceptual understanding of basic concepts remained the same.