More than just skills and drills: Using a soccer analogy for activating the mathematical processes and balancing practice with rich tasks in maths

Mathematical and statistical processes have been reinstated in the revised 2025 New Zealand mathematics and statistics curriculum. This important move shifts the focus from being solely on what to learn and includes how we should engage in maths. This article argues that the successful activation of processes (investigating, representing, connecting, generalising, and explaining and justifying) requires the use of rich tasks as part of a balanced programme. To support teachers in creating a balanced programme, the article exemplifies six familiar task types—all centred on the concept of 1-digit x decade multiplication—and categorises them as higher- and lower-level thinking tasks. Using an analogy of learning soccer, rich tasks are likened to a game of soccer, and mathematical processes are compared with the tactical awareness and strategic decision making required during a game, contrasting this awareness with the “skills and drills” of isolated practice. The article concludes that both lower-level practice tasks and higher-level thinking tasks are necessary, and providing all students with access to rich tasks is an essential matter of educational equity.