The Value of Latent Potential in Algebra Tiles

Teachers need to be aware that there might be a value of latent potential. I would much rather spend three weeks on operations with directed numbers early on in the knowledge, then apply it to simplifying algebraic expressions. It's just a tiny step up rather than being this whole new, completely unusual thing. But what I don't want is the default position to be everybody just throws whichever method they want at the pupils. That's ultimately going to make it too hard for too many pupils as they go through. And we all know that our pupils reach a ceiling and I feel like at the moment, and this is based on quite a few years of experience doing this now, I feel like