You’re standing in front of your Grade 6 mathematics class, looking at the sea of faces that represent South Africa’s mathematical future. Some children are engaged and eager, others have already switched off, and you know from recent assessments that several are struggling with concepts they should have mastered years ago.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The DBE’s recent revelation that more than 30% of Grade 6 pupils are failing mathematics reflects a challenge playing out in classrooms across the country. But here’s what I’ve learned from working with teachers and observing successful interventions: small, focused changes in your classroom approach can make a meaningful difference.
Start Where Your Learners Are, Not Where the Curriculum Says They Should Be
The CAPS mathematics curriculum for Grade 6 assumes children arrive with solid foundations in place and number sense from earlier grades. The reality is that many children reach your classroom without understanding basic concepts like place value, fractions as parts of wholes, or what multiplication represents.
Before diving into Grade 6 content, spend time identifying exactly what each child understands. This doesn’t require formal assessments – simple diagnostic activities can reveal huge gaps.
Try asking children to show you 2/3 of 12 using concrete objects (like counters or stones). Children who can do this comfortably have grasped fundamental fraction concepts. Those who can’t need time with concrete materials before you attempt abstract fraction work.
Similarly, ask children to explain what 6 × 4 means using a real-world story. Children who describe scenarios like “6 groups of 4 children” or “4 rows with 6 chairs each” understand multiplication conceptually. Those who just recite “six times four equals twenty-four” are working with memorised procedures, not mathematical understanding.
Use the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Progression
This approach, proven effective in mathematics education research, moves children systematically from hands-on work to abstract thinking. Many South African classrooms jump too quickly to abstract symbols and procedures.
Concrete stage: Use physical objects children can manipulate. For fraction work, use pies, chocolate bars, or pizza cut into pieces. For decimal concepts, use base-ten blocks or bundles of sticks. Let children physically move, combine, and separate objects while talking about what they’re doing.
Representational stage: Move to drawings, diagrams, and visual models. Children draw circles divided into parts for fractions, sketch arrays for multiplication, or create number lines for ordering decimals. This stage helps bridge concrete experience and abstract symbols.
Abstract stage: Only now introduce mathematical notation and procedures. By this point, children understand what the symbols represent because they’ve experienced the concepts physically and visually.
Build Number Sense Before Teaching Procedures
Too often, mathematics teaching focuses on “how to do” rather than “what it means.” Children learn to follow steps for adding fractions or multiplying decimals without understanding what they’re computing or whether their answers make sense.
Spend time developing number sense – the intuitive understanding of how numbers work. Ask questions like: “Is your answer reasonable?” “How do you know?” “Could you estimate the answer before calculating?”
For example, when working with decimal multiplication, start with estimation. If you’re calculating 4.7 × 3.2, children should recognise this is close to 5 × 3 = 15, so an answer around 15 makes sense. If their calculation gives 150 or 1.5, they can recognise something went wrong.
This approach builds confidence and helps children become independent mathematical thinkers rather than procedure-followers.
Address Language Barriers Explicitly
Mathematics has its own vocabulary, and many children struggle with language rather than mathematical concepts. Words like “product,” “difference,” “quotient,” and “sum” carry specific mathematical meanings that may not be clear to English additional language learners.
Create a mathematics word wall with visual representations. When you introduce terms like “equivalent fractions,” show multiple examples using pictures and concrete models. Encourage children to explain mathematical ideas in their home language first, then help them develop English mathematical vocabulary.
Word problems present particular challenges. Before children attempt calculations, spend time ensuring they understand what the problem is asking. Have children restate problems in their own words or draw pictures representing the situation.
Create a Culture of Mathematical Discussion
Mathematics isn’t a spectator sport. Children learn by doing, discussing, and explaining their thinking. Move away from the traditional pattern of teacher explains, children practice, teacher marks.
Instead, create opportunities for mathematical talk. When a child shares an answer, ask: “How did you figure that out?” “Does anyone have a different method?” “Do you agree with this solution?”
Encourage children to disagree respectfully and discuss different approaches. This builds deeper understanding and helps children see that mathematics is about reasoning, not just getting right answers.
Use sentence starters to support discussion: “I think… because…” “I agree with… but I’d like to add…” “I solved it differently. My method was…”
Implement Daily Number Routines
Dedicate the first 10-15 minutes of each mathematics lesson to number sense activities. These short, focused routines build fluency and confidence over time.
Number of the Day: Choose a number and explore it in multiple ways. For example, with 24, children might find it’s 6 × 4, 30 – 6, 2.4 × 10, or 24/100 of 100. This builds connections between different number representations.
Estimation Jar: Fill a container with objects (beans, buttons, sweets) and have children estimate the quantity. This develops number sense and provides practice with reasonable approximation.
Quick Images: Show dot patterns or arrays briefly, then ask children to describe what they saw. This builds subitising skills and helps children see number relationships visually.
Use Formative Assessment to Guide Instruction
Don’t wait until the end of term to discover who’s struggling. Use quick, informal assessments to check understanding during lessons.
Exit tickets: Before children leave, have them solve one problem or explain one concept from the lesson. This gives you immediate feedback about who understood and who needs additional support.
Thumbs up/down: Ask children to show thumbs up if they’re confident, sideways if they’re unsure, or down if they’re confused. This gives you a quick read of the class without putting individual children on the spot.
Think-pair-share: Pose a question, give children time to think individually, then have them discuss with a partner before sharing with the class. This ensures all children engage, not just the confident volunteers.
Connect Mathematics to Real Life
Children often ask “When will I use this?” Help them see mathematics in their daily experiences. Use contexts that are familiar and meaningful to your specific learners.
When teaching percentages, use examples from local shops, sports statistics, or school contexts. For measurement, involve cooking, building, or planning school events. When working with data handling, analyse information about your school, community, or topics children care about.
This approach helps children see mathematics as useful and relevant rather than abstract school content disconnected from real life.
Managing Mixed-Ability Classes
Grade 6 classes often include children working at vastly different mathematical levels. Some may be ready for grade-level work while others need foundational support. This challenge requires strategic planning but isn’t insurmountable.
Use flexible grouping based on specific concepts rather than general ability. A child might need support with fractions but be confident with measurement. Group children temporarily for targeted instruction, then bring the class back together for discussion and reflection.
Prepare different versions of the same activity. All children work on equivalent fractions, but some use concrete materials and simple examples while others tackle more complex problems. This maintains classroom coherence while addressing individual needs.
Train confident learners to be peer tutors. Teaching others deepens their own understanding while providing additional support for struggling children. Establish clear guidelines about helping without giving answers.
Making the Most of Limited Resources
You don’t need expensive materials to implement these approaches. Create manipulatives from bottle tops, stones, sticks, or paper. Children can make their own fraction circles by folding paper. Use playground activities to teach measurement and data handling.
Involve parents and the community in gathering materials. Ask families to collect containers, buttons, or other objects for classroom use. This builds home-school connections while providing practical resources.
Most importantly, remember that good mathematics teaching depends more on pedagogical approaches than expensive resources. Children learning with thoughtful instruction and basic materials often outperform those in well-equipped classrooms with poor teaching.
Working Within CAPS Requirements
These approaches align with CAPS principles while making the curriculum more accessible. The CAPS mathematics document emphasises conceptual understanding, problem-solving, and connections between mathematical ideas.
Use the Annual Teaching Plan as a guide for pacing, but don’t sacrifice understanding for coverage. Better to spend more time building solid foundations than racing through content that children don’t grasp.
Document children’s progress in multiple ways. While formal assessments are required, also note conceptual understanding, problem-solving approaches, and mathematical communication. This provides a fuller picture of each child’s development.
Building Your Own Confidence
Many primary teachers feel anxious about mathematics, particularly when working with children who ask challenging questions or approach problems differently than expected. This is normal and doesn’t disqualify you from being an effective mathematics teacher.
Focus on understanding the mathematics you’re teaching rather than memorising procedures. Work through problems yourself using concrete materials and visual models. This deepens your own understanding and prepares you for children’s questions.
Connect with other teachers facing similar challenges. Share successful strategies and problem-solve together. Many schools have informal mathematics teacher networks that provide valuable support and professional development.
Remember that it’s acceptable to say “I don’t know, let’s figure it out together” when children pose unexpected questions. This models mathematical thinking and shows children that mathematics involves exploration and discovery.
Starting Small, Thinking Long-term
Don’t try to implement all these strategies simultaneously. Choose one or two approaches that resonate with you and your classroom context. Practice these until they become natural, then gradually add other elements.
Focus on consistency rather than perfection. Daily number routines have more impact than occasional elaborate activities. Regular mathematical discussions matter more than sporadic deep investigations.
Document what works for your specific learners and classroom context. Not every strategy suits every situation, but thoughtful adaptation based on observation and reflection leads to effective practice.
Most importantly, maintain patience with both your learners and yourself. Mathematical understanding develops over time through sustained effort and supportive instruction. Your commitment to improving mathematics teaching makes a real difference in children’s lives, even when progress feels slow.
The statistics about Grade 6 mathematics performance are sobering, but they don’t represent the end of the story. In classrooms across South Africa, dedicated teachers are implementing evidence-based approaches that help children develop genuine mathematical understanding. Your classroom can be part of that positive change.