Maths is hugely sequential; it is comprised of many inter-connected topics, meaning that many new concepts build upon previously taught ones. A difficulty, misconception or misunderstanding in one topic will impact on at least one other topic. Most children will have gaps in knowledge. Gaps in knowledge occur for many reasons, such as;
A child missed a lesson.
The concept was not covered in sufficient detail.
The pace of the lesson was too fast.
The child learned the process for solving a problem, but never developed an understanding of why the process works.
The child was stressed, worried, or tired when the concept was being covered and did not retain the information.
The child developed some understanding of a topic, but never mastered it.
The child had reached cognitive overload when a concept was being taught.
Gaps in knowledge often go right back to primary education, persisting into the child’s secondary education. These gaps are often hidden, because most students develop a survival strategy of getting by despite them. They can avoid those questions in Q&A time, or on a test, or get help on homework. Therefore poor results in assessments can come as a surprise to the student and parents. Gaps in knowledge have a domino effect: lacking knowledge in one area will lead to, or increase, difficulties in other areas. Not achieving leads to disengagement. – if you never feel good doing something, it is only natural for you to avoid doing it. Without intervention, gaps in knowledge snowball, and fixing a gap in learning takes time. It requires effective instruction, at a pace which suits the child. The child then needs the opportunity to apply this knowledge in a variety of contexts to ensure they have mastered their understanding. Having the opportunity to ask questions is also important as it allows the child to fill in the missing elements of their knowledge. Maths learning is cumulative, and therefore sensitive to gaps in knowledge. However, those gaps need not persist. With the correct support, gaps in knowledge can be addressed and eliminated. When working on gaps in knowledge, students often say things like: “Oh it all makes sense now”. Addressing and fixing a gap in knowledge is like finding a missing piece of a jigsaw: it makes the bigger picture clear and maths learning becomes more enjoyable and satisfying.
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