Strategies:  “I know how to use different math strategies, when to use them and can explain my thinking to others”

The strategies goal is primarily about the learning and application of derived mathematical strategies. By derived strategies, we are referring to all strategies which we do not expect students to recall using direct retrieval. Applying a strategy generally involves “doing something” to our directly retrievable knowledge. Within the SURF framework, we simply refer to these derived strategies as “strategies”, and refer to important patterns we expect students to master through direct retrieval as “facts”. For example, students, having learnt their “Doubles Facts”, are in a position to apply this knowledge to the problem 8 + 7 by using the “Near Doubles Strategy” (e.g., 8 + 8 – 1 or 7 + 7 + 1). Although the application of this strategy follows a structured, reliable process, it is not necessary or even advisable to attempt to completely memorise by rote all our near doubles facts if we understand when and how to apply the near doubles strategy.