Primary Maths App for 21st Century Skills

Your child will be competing in a global knowledge economy. That's why our curriculum design approach relies on blending national curriculum requirements with the international framework for assessment in mathematics, known as PISA.

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Our aspirational vision for mathematics learning in 60 seconds

PISA Mathematics Framework

Singapore has consistently outperformed larger nations in PISA mathematics assessments. Singapore's approach to mathematics encourages creativity, generating flexible thinkers with 21st century skills.

Raising Standards

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) from OECD considers the essential mathematical skills of a 21st century prepared mathematician. PISA measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science skills to meet real-life challenges. Mapping existing skills to this framework serves as a starting point to upgrade mathematics education to better prepare students for the demands they will face in the future.

Building Blocks of Modern Mathematics Learning

Contexts

By teaching maths through context-rich problems, learners are better able to see the relevance of their mathematical knowledge. PISA puts forth four different contexts in which mathematics should be presented to pupils to highlight the variety of its applications: ❑ Personal ❑ Occupational ❑ Societal ❑ Scientific

Being able to apply 21st century skills in a real-life setting is true ‘mathematical literacy’, defined by PISA as ‘an individual’s capacity to reason mathematically and to formulate, employ and interpret mathematics to solve problems in a variety of real-world contexts.’

Quantity

Quantification plays a huge role in both mathematics and many everyday situations. By considering quantity, learners are better able to grasp magnitude and scale, using this to reason and develop number sense.

Although quantity can help with interpretation, large data sets often require the implementation of tools. PISA acknowledges the role of ‘computer simulations’ to assist in the data-handling and problem-solving process, leaving space for student creativity.

Change and Relationships

This proposed focal point develops flexible thinking, harnessing creativity by encouraging students to explore and consider ever-changing and evolving interactions in the world.

In life, there are variable degrees of ebbs and flows. Growth and decay can’t always be predicted in a linear, or even exponential, fashion as an algorithmic approach suggests. Change and relationships consider traditional skills but apply them in a way that showcases their real-life complexities.

Uncertainty and Data

Whilst modelling solutions and interpreting data can be useful, there are many scenarios in life which are more complex and unpredictable than the traditional teachings of probability and statistics.

Mathematical conclusions are not always definitive. PISA highlights ‘conditional decision making’ as a key topic within this focal point, to ensure learners recognise variance and how conclusions are drawn from assumptions and relationships, which, when altered themselves, can change outcomes.

Space and Shape

Formulaic ways of looking at space and shape fail to acknowledge that patterns and symmetry are not always seen in real-life contexts. Current curriculums tend to consider shapes as fixed, whereas in reality dimensions and positions are subject to change.

PISA places additional focus on ‘geometric approximation’ to instil in learners that flexibility of thought is required to find approaches to complex real-life space and shape problems. It’s both a tangible and intangible concept that requires creativity and strong visualisation skills to apply learnt knowledge in a broader context.

21st Century Skills

Traditionally, mathematics has been viewed linearly. However, the ‘number sense’ concept promotes that even basic calculations can be approached in many different ways. Learners should be encouraged to be creative, flexible and inquisitive — skills that were not developed with the old method of algorithmic thinking or reasoning.

PISA’s list of mathematical modern-day skills: ✓ critical thinking ✓ creativity ✓ research and inquiry ✓ self-direction, initiative and persistence ✓ information use ✓ systems thinking ✓ communication ✓ reflection

Outnumber Primary Module

The learning outcomes are researched and curated from leading national curriculums and adapted to PISA concepts of 21st century skills and context-rich learning. With a best-of-breed approach, we aim to deliver a learning experience that is internationally competitive.

Enriched Curriculum

We researched the national curriculum contents of eight countries and developed a microlearning module using the PISA framework that emphasises number sense and mathematical reasoning. We believe existing curriculum contents can be enriched through continuously exploring and experimenting at the frontiers of content design, educational technology and psychology. The project is continuously evolving with an ambitious pipeline of functionalities and learning contents.

The Outnumber Curriculum Approach

Learn through context-rich problems on broad and balanced contents

Quantity

✔︎ Whole numbers, fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, percentages and ratios

✔︎ An understanding of place value for whole numbers, fractions and decimals

✔︎ Prime numbers, composite numbers, square, cube and triangular numbers

✔︎ Using number sense, rounding and estimation to find accurate and approximate solutions, which can include decimals

✔︎ Making connections between equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages

✔︎ Relationship between fractions and ratios, simplifying and equivalent ratios, using ratio notation and dividing into a given ratio

✔︎ Recognise units, using correct notation and symbols

Change and Relationships

✔︎ The four arithmetic operations with whole numbers, fractions, mixed numbers and decimals with an understanding of the role of brackets

✔︎ Understanding percentage increase/decrease, factors and multiples

✔︎ Exploring relationships between distance, time and speed, as well as changing speed

✔︎ Expressing relationships using variables and simple equations, finding unknowns by solving simple linear equations and using substitution to further evaluate

✔︎ Recognise the relationships between numbers and fractions in a sequence, compare and order numbers as well as understand and use the inverse of operations to check solutions

✔︎ An understanding of rate in contextual situations and calculating rate

Uncertainty and Data

✔︎ Data Collection, Display and Interpretation: identify and carry out data collection methods and compare and interpret data using bar charts, pie charts, area charts and line graphs, including interpreting different scales on axes

✔︎ Data Analysis: explore the concept of variability in a dataset and how that relates to concepts of mean, median and range

✔︎ Chance: describe probabilities using fractions, decimals and percentages and recognise mutually exclusive and non-mutually exclusive scenarios

✔︎ Chance: explore chance experiments with both small and large numbers of trials and compare observed frequencies with expected frequencies

Space and Shape

✔︎ 2D Shapes and Patterns: areas, perimeters and other properties of triangles, rectangles, different quadrilaterals and 2D shapes (including circles and composite shapes)

✔︎ 3D Shapes and Patterns: understanding shape properties, finding volume of a cube/cuboid, building different solids from unit cubes and finding volume

✔︎ Length, Volume and Weight: measure, compare and convert to different units using decimals

✔︎ Space, Position and Direction: translations, enlargements, reflections and rotations of 2D shapes; line and rotational symmetries; angles; four-quadrant coordinate grid; simple map interpretation

✔︎ Identify, compare and measure angles; use basic angle properties to find unknown angles; use understanding of angles to recognise regular and irregular polygons

✔︎ Recognise perpendicular and parallel lines

Alignment with UK School Years and International Grades

The learning levels are aligned with UK school years and international grades to benefit both homeschooling parents and classroom teachers who want to use Outnumber to supplement existing materials.

Terms

Primary Maths App for 21st Century Skills

Your child will be competing in a global knowledge economy. That's why our curriculum design approach relies on blending national curriculum requirements with the international framework for assessment in mathematics, known as PISA.

Start free trial

No credit card required

Our aspirational vision for mathematics learning in 60 seconds

PISA Mathematics Framework

Singapore has consistently outperformed larger nations in PISA mathematics assessments. Singapore's approach to mathematics encourages creativity, generating flexible thinkers with 21st century skills.

Building Blocks of Modern Mathematics Learning

Contexts

Quantity

Change and Relationships

Uncertainty and Data

Space and Shape

21st Century Skills

Outnumber Primary Module

The learning outcomes are researched and curated from leading national curriculums and adapted to PISA concepts of 21st century skills and context-rich learning. With a best-of-breed approach, we aim to deliver a learning experience that is internationally competitive.

The Outnumber Curriculum Approach

Learn through context-rich problems on broad and balanced contents

Quantity

Change and Relationships

Uncertainty and Data

Space and Shape

Alignment with UK School Years and International Grades

The learning levels are aligned with UK school years and international grades to benefit both homeschooling parents and classroom teachers who want to use Outnumber to supplement existing materials.

© 2023 ThamesCatalyst

Made with 💛 in Thames Valley

Primary Maths App for 21st Century Skills

Your child will be competing in a global knowledge economy. That's why our curriculum design approach relies on blending national curriculum requirements with the international framework for assessment in mathematics, known as PISA.

Start free trial

No credit card required

Our aspirational vision for mathematics learning in 60 seconds

PISA Mathematics Framework

Singapore has consistently outperformed larger nations in PISA mathematics assessments. Singapore's approach to mathematics encourages creativity, generating flexible thinkers with 21st century skills.

Building Blocks of Modern Mathematics Learning

peopleContexts

dialpadQuantity

calculateChange and Relationships

insert_chart_outlinedUncertainty and Data

categorySpace and Shape

verified21st Century Skills

Outnumber Primary Module

The learning outcomes are researched and curated from leading national curriculums and adapted to PISA concepts of 21st century skills and context-rich learning. With a best-of-breed approach, we aim to deliver a learning experience that is internationally competitive.

The Outnumber Curriculum Approach

Learn through context-rich problems on broad and balanced contents

dialpadQuantity

calculateChange and Relationships

insert_chart_outlinedUncertainty and Data

categorySpace and Shape

Alignment with UK School Years and International Grades

The learning levels are aligned with UK school years and international grades to benefit both homeschooling parents and classroom teachers who want to use Outnumber to supplement existing materials.

© 2023 ThamesCatalyst

Made with 💛 in Thames Valley

Contexts

Quantity

Change and Relationships

Uncertainty and Data

Space and Shape

21st Century Skills

Quantity

Change and Relationships

Uncertainty and Data

Space and Shape