Welcome to variationtheory.com!

About variationtheory.com

This website is my attempt to assemble a collection of high-quality, sequences of questions and examples using key principles from Variation Theory. By holding key features between questions and examples constant, together with the mathematical behaviour that I call Reflect, Expect, Check, Explain and the supporting role of the teacher, I believe we can help students better understand key mathematical ideas.

You can find out more about the site and the different types of sequences available by visiting the Introduction.

You can access all the sequences of questions and examples from the Topics menu above.

My books

I have written two books about my use of these types of activities.

My 2020 book, Reflect, Expect, Check, Explain: Sequences and behaviour to enable mathematical thinking in the classroom, goes into detail about making the most of these activities in the classroom. You can order the book from Amazon, John Catt, or wherever you get your books.

My 2023 book, Tips for Teachers: 400+ ideas to improve your teaching, details my most recent thoughts on using these sequences effectively. You can order the book from AmazonJohn Catt, or wherever you get your books.

My online courses

I have an online course store which offers low-cost, high-quality CPD on-demand. Each course contains short videos, resources, research, activities and questions to reflect upon. The courses most suited to the sequencers on the Variation Theory website are:

Supporting this website

I do not make any money from this website, so if you did want to support its future development – and hopefully learn more about the pedagogy underpinning these ideas – then I would be so grateful if you would consider:

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this – now go and enjoy the site!
Craig