The main teaching strategies used in effective mathematics lessons are: sharing learning goals, demonstrating and modelling, instructing, explaining how and why, illustrating, developing and consolidating, discussing, questioning, intervening, evaluating pupils’ responses, giving feedback and summarising.
These strategies are interwoven with providing varied opportunities for pupils to discuss, practise, investigate and solve problems, working independently as individuals, or collaboratively in pairs or small groups.
A good teacher will select teaching and learning activities and approaches as appropriate for different mathematical topics, the ages and interests of the pupils, and their levels of attainment.
The range of teaching strategies is discussed in more detail in the questions in the questions that follow.