What is the Numeracy Project?

The Numeracy Project is a New Zealand-wide professional development initiative which introduces teachers to a new approach to the teaching of mathematics.
The Numeracy Project is focused on developing children's understanding of numbers, and their ability to use numbers to solve problems. Children may solve number problems by counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, or combinations of these.
As part of the Numeracy Project your child should be learning to:

• enjoy working with numbers
• make sense of numbers - how big they are, how they relate to other numbers, and how they behave
• solve mathematical problems - whether real life or imaginary
• calculate in their heads whenever possible, rather than using a calculator or pen and paper
• show that they understand maths, using equipment, diagrams and pictures
• explain and record the methods they use to work out problems
• accept challenges and work at levels that stretch them
• work with others and by themselves
• discuss how they tackle mathematical problems - with other students, their teacher and you!

 The biggest difference in schools involved in the Numeracy Project is that children are encouraged to learn a range of different ways to solve problems and to choose the most appropriate one for each problem. You may be familiar with certain 'rules' for doing maths. While these will still work, your child may learn different ways to solve problems. Often these methods involve mental strategies, or working things out in your head, rather than written methods.
This change in approach to maths education reflects changes in the world that impact on the maths that people need to know. Employers are increasingly looking for staff that have problem solving skills and an understanding of concepts, rather than just the ability to follow rules for calculating. The increasing use of technology has also meant that a calculator or computer is almost always available in the workplace for larger calculations.
The Numeracy Project uses a framework, called the Number Framework, to describe children's level of ability and to ensure that the activities they are doing are suitable. Click for more information about the

What is the Number Framework?

The Number Framework is intended to help teachers, parents and students understand the stages of learning of number knowledge and understanding.
There are two sections to the Number Framework. The Strategy section describes the processes students use to solve problems involving numbers - how they work things out. The Knowledge section describes the key items about number that children know and can recall quickly.
The two sections are linked, with children requiring knowledge to improve their strategies, and using strategies to develop new knowledge.

The Strategy Section

The Strategy section of the Number Framework describes a series of stages that children progress through as they develop their understanding of a range of strategies for solving number problems. There are eight stages altogether, with the first three often grouped together:

• Stage 0-3: Counting from One - children can solve problems by counting from one, either using materials or in their head.
• Stage 4: Advanced Counting - children can solve problems by counting in ones, or by skip counting, starting from numbers other than one.
• Stage 5: Early Additive - children can solve simple problems by splitting up and adding together the numbers in their head.
• Stage 6: Advanced Additive - children use a range of different methods to solve more challenging problems in their head.
• Stage 7: Advanced Multiplicative - children use a range of different methods to solve multiplication and division problems in their head.
• Stage 8: Advanced Proportional - children can solve complicated problems involving fractions, decimals and percentages using a combination of methods.

There are three areas, or 'domains' within the Strategy section, which describe a child's ability to solve different types of problems (additive, multiplicative and proportional). Your child is likely to be learning a broad range of strategies in their classroom mathematics programme. One of the ways that you can most easily support them is to help them develop the knowledge that they will need to be able to use these strategies.

The Knowledge Section

The Knowledge section is usually broken down into five areas, referred to as 'domains': Numeral Identification, Number Sequence and Order, Grouping/Place Value, Basic Facts, and Written Recording. We have provided a collection of suggested activities that parents and families can use, grouped under three domains:

• Number Identification and Order - activities to help children learn to read numbers and know the order of numbers.
• Place Value - activities to help children learn how 10s, 100s, 1000s, tenths, hundredths, thousandths etc are used.
• Number Facts - activities that will help children learn their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts.

The activities in each domain are grouped by the stage of development they are most suitable for. To choose the appropriate stage, either use the brief descriptions under the Strategy Section above, ask your child's teacher, or choose a range of activities to see which are suitable.

A school wide Literacy Programme supports classroom programmes. This is an example of a very successful initiative for learning meeting the needs of students in our school. We employ a full time literacy teacher. Students are assessed and programmes to meet their needs are discussed and implemented with assistance of our literacy teacher, literacy leader and principal.

Effective Literacy PracticeThis section defines literacy and summarises the dimensions of effective literacy practice.

Definition of Literacy Literacy is the ability to use and understand those language forms required by society and valued by indiviuals and communities. Ministry of education(2002).Literacy Leadership in NewZealand schools, (p.6.): Learning Media

Quality classroom teaching has the most influence on succesful outcomes for students. While there will always be some students who need specialist teaching at some stage of their literacy journey, most students will become successful readers and writers if they experience high-quality teaching intheir everyday classrooms.

Dimensions of Effective Practice The evidence from national and international studies suggests that quality literacy teaching has the following features:

We are in an information age where students are constantly exposed to new information and technological advances.

Future forecasters predict that today’s students will probably have at least three different careers before they are forty years old. Howard Gardener, an eminent educator, believes using a multiple intelligence model in school helps students to learn to identify what interests them, how their mind works and how they learn more effectively. This understanding will help students become life long learners who get a “buzz” from learning.

At Opunake Primary we are developing an integrated approach to the curriculum.

“An integrated approach to learning is designed to foster such characteristics from the moment a child begins school and to immerse them in authentic, inquiry based contexts. The integration of the curriculum encourages learners to make connections– not only between curriculum areas but between knowledge, skills, feelings, values and attitudes. We need to encourage our learners to become ‘multi-skilled’ and to be able to transfer their skills and understandings across various contexts.”  (Kath Murdoch)

Our students are encouraged and taught to work together co-operatively. Students are taught the skills and strategies to enable them to work together co-operatively. They are provided with real learning tasks to practice and develop these skills.

"Students in mixed age grouping working co-operatively to solve problems."

Everyone's ideas are valued

Lets try it this way

This way could work

If you hold the string I'll measure it