PRACTICAL ELEMENTS IN THE GRADE 5 MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOK - CÁNH DIỀU SERIES

This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the Grade 5 Mathematics textbook from the Canh Dieu series, one of four textbook series officially approved by the Ministry of Education and Training for implementation beginning in the 2024–2025 academic year, aligned with the 2018 General Education Curriculum. Embracing the pedagogical philosophy of "bringing life into lessons and bringing lessons into life," the textbook comprises 91 lessons organized around four core themes: Number and Operations, Geometry and Measurement, and Statistics and Probability. Each lesson is systematically structured following a four-phase learning model: Engage – Connect – Explore – Practice – Apply, which incorporates real-life contexts relevant to students’ experiences, such as sea level rise due to melting ice, the historical heritage of Yên Thái communal house, rice exports, the velocity of the Thống Nhất train, personal financial management, and making herbal cough syrup from preserved limes. These scenarios serve as a bridge between mathematical concepts and everyday life, promoting meaningful learning and contextual understanding. The textbook effectively integrates interdisciplinary content across subjects such as history, geography, biology, and technology, fostering the development of essential 21st-century competencies including logical reasoning, creativity, collaboration, and autonomous learning. By situating mathematical problems within authentic contexts, the textbook enhances students’ ability to transfer knowledge to practical situations, deepens their conceptual understanding, and cultivates a positive disposition toward mathematics. This study underscores the vital role of the mathematics textbook in supporting teachers in designing studentcentered, competency-based instruction, while simultaneously creating opportunities for learners to develop both mathematical proficiency and key personal attributes in a holistic manner.