In many Scottish primary classrooms, children still describe maths using words like “nervous”, “bored” or “confused”. With many students in Scotland and beyond experiencing maths anxiety - some as early as age 6 - the need for change is urgent.
As practitioners, we’ve found one simple but powerful tool that can help shift this narrative: mathematical journalling.
Journalling encourages pupils to reflect, articulate and make sense of mathematical ideas. It moves beyond rote calculation to develop confident, curious learners with a deeper connection to their thinking.
This approach sits at the heart of “PACE”, our evolving classroom-based model for high-impact teaching and learning, centred on play, agency, creativity and engagement.
Why journalling matters
Emerging from efforts to integrate writing across the curriculum, maths journalling helps pupils make their thinking visible while building metacognitive awareness. This aligns with PACE by supporting learner agency, nurturing creativity and increasing active engagement.
Journals become personalised thinking spaces, where children can express ideas through writing, diagrams or drawings. This multimodal approach supports diverse learners, encouraging ownership and reflection, while building meaningful connections with mathematical concepts.
The case for journalling is backed by pedagogical research. John Hattie’s Visible Learning metastudy identifies the power of students making their thinking explicit. Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli emphasise clarity and structured reflection in effective teaching - something journalling naturally supports. Dylan Wiliam’s work on formative assessment strengthens the case: journals offer valuable insights into student understanding, helping teachers provide timely, targeted feedback.
What it looks like in classrooms
We scaffold journalling through clear success criteria, modelling and anchor charts. Students record definitions, strategies and key terms - often as “brain dumps” - before and after lessons, helping them track and compare their growth. Over time, journal entries evolve into rich reflections, where children justify choices, evaluate strategies and express personal insights.
We’ve observed a shift not only in children’s written work but in their talk, which has become more confident, precise and reflective. As a result, their mathematical identity becomes more secure and their belief in their own abilities begins to grow.
Journalling naturally supports differentiation. For some, it builds fluency and confidence; for others, it offers space to explore abstraction or justify reasoning. It accommodates learners at different stages and preferences, offering choice in how they engage.
Prompts can be tailored - “Explain how you solved this,” “Compare two methods,” “Why might someone make this mistake?” - allowing all pupils to access challenge and support. The journal becomes a record not just of outcomes but of growth, process and voice.
Assessment meets creativity
We’ve used journalling as a dynamic form of assessment. From project-based prompts to hexagonal thinking tasks, these entries encourage application, synthesis and explanation - core skills in deep learning.
Importantly, journalling reframes assessment. It becomes less about performance and more about process, about understanding and expressing ideas in a way that feels authentic.
At the heart of PACE is the belief that all learners can grow. Journalling encourages children to learn from mistakes, reflect on progress and celebrate effort.
This echoes Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset and Jo Boaler’s research into mathematical learning. Children can see learning as a journey - that it’s not about always being right, but about thinking deeply, taking risks and improving over time.
Too many pupils internalise the idea that they’re “not good at maths”. Journalling helps rewrite that story. When children reflect, they grow. When they write, they understand. When they see their own progress, they begin to believe in themselves.
Maths journalling isn’t a silver bullet, but it is a meaningful, research-informed practice that centres student voice, reflection and growth. It helps children connect to their learning and see themselves as capable, curious and creative mathematical thinkers.
Holly Drummond and Kirsten Fenton are teachers in the independent schools sector in Edinburgh. They are presenting at the in Stirling on Saturday
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