About the authors

Sally Goldman

I qualified at the University of Cape Town as a Senior Primary teacher in 1981 and taught at a number of schools in the Durban area, mostly at Durban Girls’ College, where I was Head of Mathematics in the SP for many years. My particular interest is in gifted education and in developing problem-solving skills. One of my most enjoyable down-time activities is trying to solve puzzles and working on past papers for Maths competitions. My experience in setting papers for the SA Mathematics Challenge (part of the South African Mathematics Foundation) has also enriched my teaching of problem solving.

Penny O’Toole

I completed a BSc at the University of Natal in 1981 and started teaching primary and high school Maths and Science while doing my teaching diploma through UNISA. Most of my teaching was at Christian Brothers’ College, Boksburg and St Henry’s Marist College, Durban. I was also involved in heading up academics in the Senior Primary in both schools. My first love has always been Maths and the drive to prepare children of all abilities adequately for the demands of High School Mathematics.

Note from the authors

Teaching Primary School Mathematics is not straightforward. Our years in the classroom have given us a good grasp of what works according to cognitive developmental stages, common stumbling blocks and misunderstandings.

We are passionate in our quest for knowledge, never satisfied that we know enough. We constantly check and research to ensure that we teach effectively. We also learn from our students. In the course of compiling our material, we have grappled, debated, and consulted other teachers to ensure best practice.

Negative attitudes towards Maths may be due to fundamentals incorrectly learnt or missed out in previous years. The resulting domino effect is then compounded year on year, adversely affecting understanding of more complex concepts. Sometimes parents pass on a fear of the subject, due to their own struggles at school, which leads to a perception of ‘I can’t do Maths’. Whatever the reasons, lack of self-confidence and a fear of Maths become primary factors in children struggling to achieve and to love the subject. We challenge this.

We are confident that our books are unique in the South African market and that they will be a huge asset to assist in raising the standard of Maths in our country.