February 08, 2025

S03E03 - Liana McCurry on Mathematical Practices in High Performing Countries

1 hour 4 minutes

In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, Brendan Lee speaks with Liana McCurry, a passionate advocate for primary school maths education. Fresh from her Churchill Fellowship, Liana shares findings from her research into mathematical practices across six countries.

Listeners will gain insights into the systemic issues contributing to Australia's declining maths performance and discover how to bridge the research-to-practice gap. Liana delves into key topics, including:

Mathematical modelling and its surprisingly misunderstood place in the curriculum.

The power of multisensory approaches to unlock conceptual understanding.

Why fluency in maths is a foundational skill that needs renewed focus.

Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that equips educators with practical knowledge and strategies to transform maths education in their classrooms.

Resources mentioned:

Books:

Explicit Direct Instruction by Hollingsworth and Ybarra.

Explicit Instruction by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes

Harnessing the Science of Learning by Nathaniel Swain.

Direct Instruction Mathematics by Stein et al

Websites:

Ochre

Science of Math website.

Thinking Forward Educators,

Brian Poncy's MIND

Steve Wyborney's Esti Mysteries

Podcasts:

Knowledge for Teachers.

Dyscastia, hosted by Bill Hansberry and Michael Shanahan.

Craig Barton podcast.

Progressively Incorrect, hosted by Zach Groshell

Chalk and Talk, hosted by Anna Stokke

Training and Conferences:

Sharing Best Practice conferences.

What Works series in Geelong.

Orton Gillingham Math, Multisensory Maths training

You can connect with Liana:

Email: [email protected]

Website: sol-education.net

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

A Systematic and Structured Approach to Teaching Primary Mathematics - 10 hr Online (Live) Course

While there’s been strong momentum for the science of reading, what about maths?

In this course, I will explore what the research reveals about effective maths instruction, highlighting the importance of aligning teaching with how learning happens. Across these sessions, I will go beyond summarising research and delve into practical implications, showing teachers how to bring these concepts to life in the classroom. Highly interactive, the sessions will offer plenty of opportunities for teachers to engage, practice, and respond.

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By Brendan Lee

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