When I started volunteering in my local primary school in 2002, one thing I missed almost immediately was a set of scientific calculators. Over the years, I have taken note of times when such calculators were on some sort of offer in local shops – and have bought a few at a time for the school. What follows are a few reasons why I find them so useful in educating primary students.
The first example is about something I started in the secondary school where I spent most of my teaching career. It was a small school and each year we held a parents’ evening where each department could talk to the potential Year 7 parents and students about what the department could offer. Some departments, of course, produced wonderful displays of their work. What I chose to do, as Head of Maths, was to put out a couple of non-scientific and a couple of scientific calculators and a note which said in large print
