Derry-made maths resource scoops UK Teach Primary award

A Derry-made maths learning resource has won a prestigious award from schools’ magazine, ‘Teach Primary’.
Franz Schlindweins Izak9 learning resource has scooped the Best Maths Resource award from UK-wide teaching publication Teach Primary.Franz Schlindweins Izak9 learning resource has scooped the Best Maths Resource award from UK-wide teaching publication Teach Primary.
Franz Schlindweins Izak9 learning resource has scooped the Best Maths Resource award from UK-wide teaching publication Teach Primary.

Izak9 has been named Best Maths Resource by the respected publication for schools and teachers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

More than 450 products and publications were nominated for honours in the Teach Primary Resource Awards 2018 between March and May and these were whittled down to a 55-strong finalists’ shortlist.

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A panel of primary subject experts then selected 33 resources, bestowing five-star, four-star and three-star prizes in each category.

Izak9, developed and manufactured in Derry, secured the five-star gong amid some tough competition.

The resource consists of a box of cubes with a combination of 27 different colours, numbers and shapes which can be used in conjunction with a vast vault of online support materials. Research has shown that Izak9 has enhanced pupils’ performance in maths class by injecting fun into learning.

Melanie Muldowney, Chair of the Teaching Committee at the Mathematical Association, was part of the 10-strong judging panel which gave Izak9 the thumbs up.

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She said: “The cubes are very tactile, and we couldn’t resist coming up with ideas about how we would use them in lessons. The online support material is a massive bonus to the resource – it’s very easy to use and to get started took just seconds.”

Izak9 creator Franz Schlindwein said the team was delighted and humbled to accept the honour.

“This award and the comments made by the judges reflect the efficacy of Izak9 in schools around the UK, Ireland and beyond.

A former secondary school teacher, Mr Schlindwein developed Izak9 out of a determination to help “stimulate a mathematical thinking among primary and secondary school children.”

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“Along with animated assistance from on screen characters Helix and Abacus, Izak9 is changing how math’s is being taught in schools around the UK, Ireland and much farther afield.”

Teach Primary is known and respected in primary schools throughout the UK, with copies mailed directly to senior staff and budget holders in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and made available through WH Smith.