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Numeracy
Numeracy (NUM)
As an early childhood educator, you help children develop a positive disposition towards numeracy learning and their foundational numeracy concepts and skills for future learning like:Relationships and patterns
Counting skills and number sense
Shapes and spatial concepts
- Identifying and naming shapes
- Awareness of position, direction and distance in relation to themselves
What are the benefits?
Supporting children in developing their numeracy skills offers several valuable benefits:
Making Sense of Daily Experiences
By integrating numeracy concepts into their daily experiences, children can better understand and engage with numeracy confidently in various settings, including at home, in school, and within the community.
Building Logical Thinking Skills
Nurturing numeracy skills helps children develop logical thinking abilities, enabling them to problem-solve and make decision with a structured and analytical mindset.
Laying the Foundation for Future Mathematics Learning
Developing numeracy concept and skills in early childhood lays a strong foundation for future mathematics learning in primary schools, setting children up for success in more advanced mathematical concepts and applications.
Learning Goals and Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions (KSD) in NUM
The four learning goals for numeracy focus on the need for you to help children:
- Enjoy learning and using numeracy concepts and skills in daily experiences.
- Understand relationships and patterns.
- Develop counting skills and number sense.
- Understand basic shapes and spatial concepts.
Refer to the Educators’ Guide for Numeracy for more information.
Numeracy
Learning Goal 1: Enjoy learning and using numeracy concepts and skills in daily experiences
| Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions (KSD): Provide opportunities for children to… |
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1.1 Develop an awareness of how and why numeracy ideas and processes are useful in in their daily life 1.2 Use mathematical language (e.g., “bigger than”, “smaller than”, “more than”, “fewer than” or “less than”, shape names) in their daily life |
Learning Goal 2: Understand relationships and patterns
| Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions (KSD): Provide opportunities for children to… |
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2.1 Match, sort and compare things by at least one attribute (i.e., colour, shape, size, length, height and/or
child-determined attributes) 2.2 Put things in an order according to attributes (i.e., size, length, height, child-determined attributes and sequence of events) 2.3 Recognise, extend and create patterns (e.g., ABABAB, ABCABCABC) 2.4 Describe relationships and patterns recognised and created |
Learning Goal 3: Develop counting skills and number sense
| Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions (KSD): Provide opportunities for children to… |
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3.1 Rote count to at least 20 3.2 Count reliably up to at least 10 things 3.3 Recognise that the quantity of a set of up to at least 10 things stays the same regardless of the arrangement (conservation of quantity) 3.4 Recognise numbers in numerals and in words 3.5 Match number name, numeral and/or number word to the quantity of a set of things 3.6 Write numbers in numeral 3.7 Compare the quantities of two sets of up to 10 things each and use “same as”, “more than”, “fewer than” and “less than” appropriately 3.8 Name the parts that form the whole in a quantity of up to 10 (e.g., 5 is made up of 2 and 3, and 1 and 4) |
Learning Goal 4: Understand basic shapes and spatial concepts
| Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions (KSD): Provide opportunities for children to… |
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4.1 Recognise the four basic shapes (i.e., circle, square, rectangle and triangle) 4.2 Develop an awareness of the attributes of the four basic shapes 4.3 Use the basic shapes to form other shapes or figures 4.4 Develop an awareness of spatial concepts such as position (i.e., top and bottom, in front of and behind), direction (i.e., up and down, left and right) and distance (i.e., far and near) |
How can you do it?
Using Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) Approach
The Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach provides a structure for planning learning experiences that use physical and visual aids to help children develop their understanding of numeracy concepts. The Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach is a valuable method for teaching numeracy concepts to young learners. This approach progresses from using concrete and familiar materials to pictorial representations and then to abstract symbolic representations. Here's how it works:
- Concrete phase: In the concrete phase, you introduce the new concept or skill to the children using tangible, real-life objects
- Pictorial phase: Moving to the pictorial phase, you use images or pictures to reinforce children’s understanding of the concept or skill being taught
- Abstract phase: Finally, in the abstract phase, you use words and symbols to help children master the concept or skill. This phase allows children to use more abstract ways to represent and communicate mathematical ideas
See this example illustrating the teaching of number ‘5’ using the CPA approach.
Using Manipulatives and Games
Using manipulatives and games can significantly enhance children's understanding and enjoyment of numeracy concepts. Here are examples of manipulatives and games that can be used to reinforce numeracy skills:
Manipulatives
You can use the following manipulatives to help children better grasp numeracy concepts:
- Multi-link cubes: These versatile cubes can be used for counting, sorting, and exploring other concepts such as comparison of numbers and part-whole relationship.
- Pattern blocks: These colourful blocks can aid in teaching shapes and spatial reasoning.
- Counters: Counters are useful for activities involving matching, sorting, counting and comparing quantities
Games
Incorporating games into numeracy learning can make the experience more engaging and enjoyable. Consider using the following games to reinforce numeracy concepts:
- Hopscotch: This game can be adapted to incorporate numeracy by assigning numbers to the hopscotch grid and engaging children in number recognition and counting.
- Scavenger hunts: Create numeracy-themed scavenger hunts to encourage children to search for and count specific items.
- Board games: Various board games can be used to reinforce numeracy skills, such as games that involve counting spaces or using dice for counting and subitising.
- Dominoes: Dominoes can be used to teach number recognition, counting, and comparing quantities.
- Bingo: Number-based bingo games can help children practice number recognition and matching.
- Matching card games: Card games involving number matching or sequencing can reinforce numeracy skills in an enjoyable way.
Games can also help children exercise and enhance their executive functioning skills.
- Inhibitory control: Children practise their inhibitory control skills when playing games that require them to focus and wait for their turn and/or think before they act.
- Working memory: Games like matching card games allow children to use and improve their working memory as they hold multiple pieces of information in their mind.
- Cognitive flexibility: Solving jigsaw puzzles or playing games with multiple outcomes promotes cognitive flexibility. These games encourage children to adapt to changing situations, think creatively and consider different approaches.
Using Stories, Songs and Rhymes
Stories, songs and rhymes can be used to develop and review numeracy concepts in engaging and meaningful ways. When selecting books, it is important to choose content and illustration that accurately portray the numeracy concept. Here’s how you can facilitate storytelling to help children focus on numeracy concepts:
- Pointing out Numeracy Concepts: Encourage children to identify words and pictures in the story that depict the numeracy concept being taught. This helps them visually connect the concept to the narrative.
- Using Mathematical Language and Logical Thinking: Ask questions that require children to use mathematical language and logical thinking. For example, you can prompt them to predict outcomes, compare quantities, or identify patterns within the story.
- Relating Numeracy Concepts to Daily Experiences: Encourage children to relate the numeracy concept in the story to their daily experiences. This helps them understand the practical applications of the concept in real-life situations.
Asking Prompting Questions
Throughout the day, there are numerous opportunities to engage children in discussions about numeracy concepts and skills. By using a variety of prompts and questions, you can encourage children to share their ideas, strategies, and problem-solving approaches. Here are examples of questions to facilitate discussions about different numeracy concepts and skills:
| Numeracy Concept or Skill | Suggested questions |
| Relationships and patterns |
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| Counting and number sense |
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| Shapes and spatial concepts |
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Providing Opportunities for Problem-Solving
Providing children with opportunities to explore numeracy concepts and develop problem-solving strategies is essential for their learning and understanding of numeracy concepts. You can facilitate the problem-solving process using these four useful steps:
- Understand the problem
- Devise a plan
- Carry out the plan
- Look back
Using Daily Routines and Transitions
You can integrate numeracy learning into various daily activities to reinforce or extend children’s learning. Here are some examples:
- Taking Attendance: Engage children by counting and recognising numbers as they arrive.
- Daily Schedule: Discuss the date and sequence of activities to reinforce understanding of time and order.
- Voting: Encourage children to count and compare votes when choosing a book to read.
- Sorting Play Materials: Teach sorting and categorisation skills during clean-up time.
- Recording Scores: Engage children in comparing and recording scores during games.
Organising the Learning Environment
You can create a numeracy-rich learning environment by organising the physical, interactional and temporal aspects to promote children’s numeracy learning:
Physical environment
The physical environment includes the indoor and outdoor learning spaces and resources. Here are some ways you can use the physical environment to support numeracy learning:
- Construction/Block Play Centre: Provide building blocks or recycled materials to develop children’s knowledge of shapes and spatial awareness.
- Table Toys/Manipulatives Centre: Offer hands-on experiences for children to interact with manipulatives and explore numeracy concepts.
- Dramatic Play Centre: Encourage the use of numbers in authentic and relevant contexts, such as preparing a party or setting up a restaurant.
- Reading/Language and Literacy Centre: Provide picture books and games that can be used for numeracy teaching and learning.
- Art and Craft Centre: Crate opportunities for counting spatial awareness through activities like collaging or creating 3D artwork.
- Outdoor Spaces: Use the outdoors for children to identify patterns, shapes, and sizes of natural materials, as well as to count items in the environment.
Interactional Environment
Creating a caring and respectful environment promotes children’s engagement in numeracy activities. Here’s how you can achieve this:
- Encourage openness and exploration: Foster an environment where children feel comfortable sharing thoughts and exploring resources to solve problems.
- Empower problem-solving: Instead of immediate intervention, provide scaffolding and empower children to find their own solutions through prompts and questions.
- Promote autonomy and choice: Offer open-ended resources and activities, allowing children to incorporate their ideas and make decisions about their learning.
Temporal environment
You can integrate numeracy concepts into various everyday activities to make learning more authentic and meaningful for children. This is also a great way to provide opportunities for the modelling and use of mathematical language. Here are some examples:
Monitoring and assessing children's learning and development
Assessing children’s learning is not about sitting children down to complete worksheets or tasks. You can use games or daily activities to observe and assess children’s learning. To understand how children acquire, understand, and apply numeracy concepts and skills, you can use the "What? – So What? – Now What?" framework to guide your observation and reflection.
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