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Numeracy



What is it?


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  • Enjoying learning and using numeracy concepts and skills in daily experiences
  • Understanding relationships and patterns
  • Developing counting skills and number sense
  • Understanding basic shapes and spatial concepts

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Why is it important?


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  • Helps children make sense of their daily encounters that involve numeracy concepts and skills at home, in school and in the community
  • Builds logical thinking skills and lays the foundation for future mathematics learning in the primary schools.

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What is number sense?


Number sense goes beyond knowing number names and counting. It includes the concept of quantity, “more” and “less”, conservation of quantity and part-whole relationships.

Find out how you can make use of manipulatives and everyday objects to develop number sense in your children.

You may want to refer to the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Educators’ Guide, Volume 6 pp. 5 to 13, for more information on Numeracy in the early years. 
Conservation of quantity Conservation of quantity
Use manipulatives to help children understand conservation of quantity. Which set has more bears? How do we know?
Conservation of quantity Conservation of quantity
Does the number of dots change when they are arranged differently?
Part-whole relationships Part-whole relationships
How can we help children to understand part-whole relationships? How many cubes are there? How else can we make 6?
Part-whole relationships Part-whole relationships
You can also apply the concept of part-whole relationships into art and craft. How many pink beads are there? How many blue beads are there?
Part-whole relationships Part-whole relationships
What activity sheets can you design to help illustrate part-whole relationships?
Subitizing Subitizing
Dice are a great way to let children practise subitizing! How can this be made into a game for children?
Subitizing Subitizing
Incorporate subitizing into games. Get children to look for the same quantity in a game of “Snap”.

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Developing Numeracy concepts and skills through questioning and language modelling during routines and transitions


Daily routines and transitions provide authentic settings for children to know and apply Numeracy concepts and skills as they think and talk through the experiences they encounter. Teachers can support children’s numeracy development by intentionally asking questions and using numbers and numeracy concepts in their verbal interactions with the children. How can we as teachers use questioning and language modelling in everyday routines and transitions to encourage children to use numbers and numeracy concepts and skills on a daily basis?


Use of numeracy-focused language Use of numeracy-focused language

You have white and grey coloured socks, Elfa has white and grey coloured socks too. Your socks have the same colours.

Use of numeracy-focused language Use of numeracy-focused language

There are supposed to be six children in your group. Five of you are here already. We are waiting for one more friend to join us. 

Use of numeracy-focused language Use of numeracy-focused language

You have two biscuits now. Would you like more biscuits? How many more biscuits would you like to have? 

Use of numeracy-focused language Use of numeracy-focused language

Look! The biscuit you are holding is in the shape of a rectangle. Can you find other biscuits in the shape of a rectangle? What other shapes of biscuits can you see?

Use of questions: Use of questions:

Can you look at your partner/friend next to you- who is taller / shorter? You or your friend? Who is the tallest in the class? Who is the shortest?

Use of numeracy-focused language Use of numeracy-focused language

Let’s count how many children are in class today. One…two...fourteen...fifteen…! We have 15 children here today. 

Use of numeracy-focused language Use of numeracy-focused language

Jerraine, there is an empty sink on the left. Why don’t you wash your hands there?

Use of questions: Use of questions:

Who is the first to go down the slide? Who is the second? Who is the third? 

 

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