Mathematics has always been one of my favourite subjects to teach, particularly in recent years when I discovered and began using ORIGO’s Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones changed my whole thinking about mathematics and how it needs to be presented to children. When I was a student, I was taught by rote and therefore I’ve always been determined to teach maths in a more thinking and reasoning way to my students. Being introduced to the ORIGO Education way allowed me to do this.

ORIGO's Animated Big Books have been really beneficial without going into sheet work for independent practice. In the book, Mice, Mice Everywhere, which covers basic addition, students utilised whiteboards to come up with number sentences stemming from conversations about the book’s content. I find the Animated Big Books to be a powerful teaching tool – with minimal prep, I had a relevant and enjoyable lesson with great learning engagement. Another book, Stella’s Store, which covers counting patterns, is also a big hit in the classroom – every child was engaged during that particular lesson, predicting what the next number would be.

“Stepping Stones gives you an explicit step by step guide for your lessons supported by manipulatives, differentiation, games, assessment, fluency, investigations and problem solving. It is well researched, sequenced, supported and aligned with the Australian Curriculum. It provides the students with strategies that build on each other year to year and because of these students all experience success (and look forwards to Maths!). What I love the most is that Stepping Stones program differentiates and covers all aspects of Maths.”