Using enabling and extending prompts in the early primary years when teaching with sequences of challenging mathematical tasks

The current study explores how teachers report using enabling and extending prompts when teaching with sequences of challenging mathematical tasks. Twenty-nine early years primary school teachers completed a questionnaire following their participation in a professional learning project. Findings suggest that teachers’: view prompts as important when teaching with challenging tasks; generally prepare prompts in advance of the lesson; consistently allow students to engage with the core task before making prompts available; and consider prompts equally valuable for augmenting learning across all content areas.