The CPA Approach
‘‘Learners are encouraged to discover facts and relationships for themselves.’
Jerome Bruner
All children at Chandos Primary School will learn maths concepts through a three step process of:
Concrete
The Doing Stage
Children are first introduced to a new idea, skill or concept by acting it out with real objects. Children work with both real-life and mathematical equipment.
Pictorial
The Seeing Stage
Children begin to relate the concrete experience to a visual representation. This may be achieved by the children drawing a diagram or picture.
Abstract
The Symbolic Stage
Children now relate their concrete and pictorial experiences to an abstract mathematical notation which use numbers and mathematical symbols.
This process is known as the CPA Approach, which is based on the research of psychologist Jerome Bruner. He suggested that there are three steps - or representations - that are necessary for pupils to develop a strong understanding of a concept. The CPA Approach allows children to be given the time to explore and manipulate the concrete for new ideas and concepts. All three strands of the approach should be evident in the mathematical learning journey.
For more information...
Miss Connolly is our Maths leads.
Please feel free to speak to her with any questions that you may have.