Books
Summary
Foster, C. (2017). Questions Pupils Ask. Mathematical Association.
Foster, C. (2013). The Essential Guide to Secondary Mathematics: Successful and enjoyable teaching and learning. Routledge.
Foster, C. (2012). Ideas for Sixth-Form Mathematics: Further pure mathematics & mechanics. Association of Teachers of Mathematics.
Foster, C. (2012). Ideas for Sixth-Form Mathematics: Pure mathematics & statistics. Association of Teachers of Mathematics.
Foster, C. (2012). Flowchart Investigations: Explorations in mathematics. Mathematical Association
Foster, C. (2011). Resources for Teaching Mathematics 11–14. Continuum.
Foster, C. (2010). Resources for Teaching Mathematics 14–16. Continuum.
Foster, C. (2009). Mathematics for Every Occasion. Association of Teachers of Mathematics.
Foster, C. (2008). Variety in Mathematics Lessons. Association of Teachers of Mathematics.
Foster, C. (2008). 50 Mathematics Lessons: Rich and engaging ideas for secondary mathematics. Continuum.
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Foster, C. (2003). Instant Maths Ideas for Key Stage 3 Teachers: Number and algebra. Nelson Thornes.
Foster, C. (2003). Instant Maths Ideas for Key Stage 3 Teachers: Shape and space. Nelson Thornes.
Foster, C. (2003). Instant Maths Ideas for Key Stage 3 Teachers: Data handling, numeracy and ICT. Nelson Thornes.
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Questions Pupils Ask Also included are articles addressing a diverse array of mathematical topics, spanning number, algebra, geometry and statistics, and involving puzzles, applications of mathematics to daily life and tasks to take into the classroom. For details, click here. “Covering a diverse range of topics including number, algebra, geometry and statistics, each essay is thought-provoking, engagingly written, and accessible for KS3 and 4 students, as well as teachers”. “Throughout this short book he gives us example after example of the dialogue between teacher and learner which is essential to the development of mathematical ability, and he makes it clear that even the most banal question can lead to an interesting exchange of ideas and a growth in confidence and enjoyment - for both pupil and teacher.” “Very relevant to today’s teachers and students ... an excellent addition to a mathematics department’s bookshelf”. |
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The Essential Guide to Secondary Mathematics: Successful and Enjoyable Teaching and Learning Key topics covered include: · Preparing yourself: thinking about mathematics and pedagogy, taking care of your health and dealing with stress · Different styles of learning and teaching mathematics · Ideas for lessons: what does it take to turn an idea into a lesson? · Tasks, timings and resources · Equality and dealing positively with difference · Mathematical starters, fillers and finishers: achieving variety · The mathematical classroom community: seating layouts, displays and practical considerations · Assessment: effective strategies for responding to learners’ mathematics and writing reports. The Essential Guide to Secondary Mathematics is a valuable resource both for beginning teachers interested in developing their understanding, and for experienced teachers looking to re-evaluate their practice. Aiming to develop all aspects of your mathematics teaching, this book will help you to devise, adapt and implement ideas for successful and enjoyable teaching and learning. For more details, click here. Click here for sample pages. “Worthy of further study even for the experienced teacher ... There will be very few teachers who will not glean some useful information or at least prompt memories from past experiences. An essential book for every department.” “This is a book for all teachers of mathematics, whether you are new to the profession or well established. Colin Foster’s book is a distillation of his experience as a mathematics teacher, learner and researcher in mathematics education. It provides a well-judged mixture of practical advice, informed by his extensive reading in research and theory. ... There is much here which could be immediately applied in all mathematics classrooms to benefit your teaching and your learners. ... It deserves to be widely read.” |
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Ideas for Sixth-Form Mathematics: Pure Mathematics & Statistics Click on the image to buy from www.atm.org.uk. Click here for sample pages. “Another excellent book ... superbly illustrated with clear graphs and diagrams ... a very useful resource.” “Many tempting and curious takes on curriculum topics that are central to higher school mathematics curricula.” “This book offers a range of problems at many different levels of difficulty so there is something to suit every mathematical palate! ... this book has a place on the bookshelf of every A level Maths teacher, however experienced, as there are so many ideas that can easily form part of their repertoire of activities. I only wish I had it sooner in my career!” |
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Ideas for Sixth-Form Mathematics: Further Pure Mathematics & Mechanics “Another excellent book ... All the main topics are covered.” “As a marker for Mechanics 1 I would highly recommend using these activities with each topic ... The section on Further Pure topics had me reaching for my pen and paper to try out some of the activities!” |
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Flowchart Investigations: Explorations in Mathematics “A collection of 20 intriguing mathematical adventures. Instantly inviting engagement, and naturally allowing students to extend themselves without undue pressure, the charts are presented with questions and prompts that encourage independent investigation, whilst teacher pages for each task draw attention to relevant mathematical concepts, and suggest ways in which learners might be gently guided towards exciting discoveries.” “Challenging and thought provoking ... An excellent resource.” “There is something in Flowchart Investigations for everybody and I would suggest every mathematics department should have a copy of it and use it!“ |
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Resources for Teaching Mathematics 11-14 The lesson tasks are open-ended and encourage deep mathematical thinking, allowing learners to explore different topics creatively through solving problems in their own way. This is an essential resource for any busy teacher of mathematics. To preview the book, click here; for the online resources, click here. “The problems in this book would enrich the mathematical learning of any class; they are clear and challenging whilst being easily differentiable. Colin Foster has produced a resource that will extend the mathematical learning of any student, helping them to engage with mathematics, instead of just doing mathematics.” “Colin Foster has once again provided a rich treasure-trove of lesson ideas that will undoubtedly serve to excite the imagination of all learners. Each lesson holds the potential to be explored for a week (if not more!). An exciting resource that I look forward to continuing to use with all of my classes.” “Resources For Teaching Mathematics 11-14 is by far and away the most comprehensive collection of high quality mathematical activities that I have ever seen. The tasks cover such a wide range of different activities which are both accessible and interesting to reluctant mathematicians and will challenge and fascinate the most able. There are so many different ways of exploring each idea, which are clearly explained in the very detailed plans, that it makes it easy for every mathematics teacher to give their students a positive experience of exploring mathematics. Colin has written the book that every maths teacher should have.” “Each lesson is designed to make pupils think about mathematics in a stimulating and at times, unusual way ... The lessons vary quite considerably to include all kinds of activities.” |
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Resources for Teaching Mathematics 14-16 For the online resources, click here. “This is an essential resource book for all secondary mathematics teachers ... so many lovely ideas to introduce students to concepts through investigative approaches to learning. Colin offers an approach which teachers can adopt and adapt to existing schemes of work and which takes on board key issues of differentiated learning and teaching without a textbook. I shall definitely recommend this book to friends and acquaintances who teach mathematics ... in fact I already have done.” “The title of this book understates what it provides. This is far more than a book of resources ... this is a book of gems. These are lessons that will engage the students (and the teachers) in some quality mathematical thinking.” “I refuse to believe a teacher could not find something useful ... the ideas are well presented ... I would recommend every department having a copy on their shelves ... the ideas presented make for strong foundations.” “Each lesson has a very rich feel to it, giving lots of opportunity for class discussion ... The notes provide a clear sense of direction, and many many questions and prompts to ensure the lesson has many possible outcomes - all of which represent a significant learning experience for the students ... This is just the right book at the right time - as we’re looking to new GCSE courses and would like more rich tasks to help our students think, and think more widely, about each topic - this is ideal.” “Accessible to groups of learners with a wide range of attainment ... All of the activities have well designed resources, allowing a busy teacher to adopt them with very little extra preparation ... While the main use of this resource will be for working with students studying for their GCSE or similar qualifications, many of the activities could be profitably adapted to be used with either younger or more advanced learners, particularly where a teacher might want to introduce a more enquiry based approach to a group of learners unused to it. Highly recommended!” David Wright (2011) Review in Learning & Teaching Update, 48, 11 |
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Mathematics for Every Occasion Click on the image to buy from www.atm.org.uk. “This book has some lovely ideas ... a fantastic inspiration for rich ideas and drawing a little colour and interest into mathematics lessons.” “For the sake of a tenner, every department should have a copy.” |
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Variety in Mathematics Lessons Click on the image to buy from www.atm.org.uk. Click here for sample pages. For the online resources, click here. “I absolutely love this book.” “All teachers, from trainees to those with years of experience, will find ideas here that will add variety and interest for them and for their pupils. Every maths department should own a copy and every maths teacher should use it.” “A fascinating and challenging set of ideas ... it would be impossible to read the book and not find something new on every page ... this book is a real gem and cannot fail to help develop our teaching.” “A valuable resource for all teachers.” |
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50 Mathematics Lessons: Rich and Engaging Ideas for Secondary Mathematics For the online resources, click here. “This collection is a ‘must have’ for every teacher who wants to inspire students to be excited by mathematics, yet not stray too far from core topics. Every lesson contains key insights into mathematics, using ideas, links and contexts which are mysterious, fun, silly, bizarre, practical and historical.” Anne Watson, Professor of Mathematics Education, Oxford University “This is an excellent book, which no mathematics department should be without. Its 50 self-contained lessons offer amusing, fascinating and mathematically worthwhile tasks which are supported by excellent teacher notes. Most books are not worth recommending, but this is different.” “A set of very good tasks indeed ... This is a great resource.” “The activities are very varied and very accessible to busy teachers without being patronising in terms of their mathematical content ... The book would make a very useful resource for teachers in a secondary school or possibly even the top end of Key Stage 2.” “...the author has succeeded in creating a nice collection of problems that teachers can easily incorporate into their lessons.” |
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Instant Maths Ideas for Key Stage 3 Teachers: Number and Algebra “Colin Foster has probably done what many teachers or Maths departments wish had been done a long while ago.” “I was pleasantly surprised at the number of ideas (old and new).” |
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Instant Maths Ideas for Key Stage 3 Teachers: Shape and Space, “These books are just what their titles suggest they should be. They are packed with ideas for starters, investigations, extension work, plenaries and for generally enhancing the routine work done in the classroom ... simply a collection of excellent ideas ... an inspiring source of ideas ... I thoroughly recommend these books.” |
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Instant Maths Ideas for Key Stage 3 Teachers: Data Handling, Numeracy and ICT, “No time to plan? Too busy to be creative? These books fulfil the dreams of busy teachers who need to teach core curriculum topics in ways which stimulate, excite and challenge all their students. Every idea in these books encourages mathematical thinking, deep understanding, and learning key mathematical ideas. Colin Foster has collected a wide range of tried-and-tested tasks and contexts to teach core curriculum topics and organised them to be accessible for quick planning. Indispensable!” Anne Watson, Professor of Mathematics Education, Oxford University |
© Colin Foster