Your Guide to the Maths Curriculum Refresh

Overall Structure

The New Zealand Maths Curriculum 2024 is based on a structured approach that promotes mastery through:

• Clearly sequenced year-by-year learning
• Progressive and cumulative acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies
• Comprehensive teaching guidance on effective practices

The curriculum is designed to support both literacy and numeracy development, enhancing students’ communication, reasoning, and comprehension skills.

The “Understand-Know-Do” Model

At the heart of the curriculum lies the “Understand-Know-Do” model, which frames the learning process in mathematics:

• Understand: This element focuses on the big ideas and themes that students should develop throughout their learning journey. It helps connect classroom mathematics with real-world applications.
• Know: This comprises the important content, concepts, and topics that enrich students’ understanding of the big ideas. It is further divided into six strands representing key learning areas: Number, algebra, measurement, geometry, statistics, and probability.
• Do: This element outlines the mathematical processes—skills, strategies, and competencies.

Phases

The New Zealand Maths Curriculum is organised into three phases, each with specific learning outcomes and teaching considerations: Phase 1 (Years 0-3), Phase 2 (Years 4-6), and Phase 3 (Years 7-8).

Phase 1: Years 0–3 (Foundation)

Focus: Students explore patterns and relationships in quantities, shapes, and data using concrete materials, number lines, and pictures. They develop logical reasoning and critical thinking skills through hands-on experiences and meaningful tasks.

Key Learning Areas:

• Number: Students develop an understanding of the base 10 number system, place value, and basic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They also begin exploring fractions.
• Algebra: Students identify and describe simple patterns, create and follow algorithms, and solve basic equations.
• Measurement: Students learn about different units of measurement, compare and order objects by attributes like length, mass, and capacity, and begin telling time.
• Geometry: Students identify, sort, and describe 2D and 3D shapes, explore spatial reasoning, and follow and give directions.
• Statistics: Students collect and represent data using simple visualisations like picture graphs and dot plots.
• Probability: Students begin exploring basic probability concepts, such as likely, unlikely, certain, and impossible.

Phase 2: Years 4–6

Focus: Students extend their understanding of number operations to include fractions, decimals, and percentages. They explore angles and shapes, and apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems.

Key Learning Areas:

• Number: Students develop fluency with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages. They learn about factors, multiples, and the order of operations.
• Algebra: Students explore the properties of numbers, form and solve equations and inequalities, and analyse and describe growing patterns. They also begin working with variables.
• Measurement: Students become proficient in using metric units, estimate and measure accurately, and develop an understanding of angles.
• Geometry: Students classify and describe polygons and prisms, explore transformations, and connect 2D and 3D shapes.
• Statistics: Students pose investigative questions, collect and analyse data, and create various data visualisations.
• Probability: Students develop their understanding of probability and use different representations to express likelihood.

Phase 3: Years 7–8

Focus: Students extend their number knowledge to include negative integers, explore more complex algebraic concepts, reason about geometric relationships, and conduct statistical investigations.

Key Learning Areas:

• Number: Students explore the properties of different types of numbers, including prime, composite, squares, and cubes. They further develop their understanding of fractions, decimals, and percentages.
• Algebra: Students work with algebraic expressions, equations, and inequalities involving variables and negative numbers. They analyse linear patterns and form equations to represent them.
• Measurement: Students learn about the metric system and conversions between units, calculate perimeter, area, and volume of more complex shapes, and solve problems involving time and speed.
• Geometry: Students classify and describe shapes based on their properties, reason about unknown angles, and explore transformations in greater depth.
• Statistics: Students conduct statistical investigations using multivariate datasets, analyse distributions and relationships, and interpret data visualisations.
• Probability: Students continue to refine their understanding of probability and apply it to real-world situations.