Esther White presented two insightful workshops on developing strong mathematical foundations for all students.
She described mathematics as a language with distinct rules and symbols that must be seen, felt, heard and manipulated to be truly understood and embedded. She emphasised the importance of mastering foundational skills and highlighted the need for a systematic, hands-on approach using materials that reflect the precision of mathematics.
Esther’s I-CRAVE Maths® Methodology provides a systematic approach to teaching mathematics, stressing thorough teacher preparation. Her thoughtfully designed materials provide the visual and tactile representation of mathematical concepts and relationships. Esther’s vision centres on making mathematics accessible to all students so they can develop confidence in numeracy, regardless of learning differences. She reminded us that, as educators, we cannot make assumptions or leave things to chance.
Her passion for transforming mathematics education stems from a commitment to moving beyond rote memorisation toward meaningful understanding, empowering students through effective, multi-sensory teaching approaches.
Our thanks to reviewer Elena Ciobanu, SPELD NZ Teacher and Researcher on our Professional Standards Committee.
Esther White is a leading multi-sensory maths intervention & dyscalculia specialist. She founded Maths Australia in 2000 with a vision of making maths available to every student, unhindered by a lack of confidence in numeracy. Since then, she’s been immersed in training parents and educators on how to bring the theory of research and evidence-based teaching methods into their everyday practice.
If Esther’s workshops inspired you to rethink how maths is taught and learned, you can take the next step by exploring her evidence-based training programs. These practical, hands-on sessions are designed to help educators and parents apply the I-CRAVE Maths® Methodology in real-world teaching environments.
Learn more and enrol in Maths Australia’s training here here.