What is Numeracy?
In 2011, the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, published Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011- 2020. The strategy sets targets for improving literacy and numeracy standards to be achieved by the year 2020.
To be numerate means you are able to apply mathematical skills in many more contexts than in mathematics lessons and across several subject areas. It is therefore our expectation that all teachers will be teachers of numeracy. To help distinguish between numeracy and mathematics, numeracy can be defined in the following way:
Numeracy is not limited to the ability to use numbers, to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Numeracy encompasses the ability to use mathematical understanding and skills to solve problems and meet the demands of day-to-day living in complex social settings. To have this ability, a young person needs to be able to think and communicate quantitatively, to make sense of data, to have a spatial awareness, to understand patterns and sequences, and to recognise situations where mathematical reasoning can be applied to solve problems.
Literacy and Numeracy Learning for Life, 2011, p.8
Mount Anville Aims for Numeracy
- Creating a numeracy rich environment
- Encouraging a whole school approach to developing numeracy skills
- Encouraging a positive approach to numeracy and developing students’ confidence in using numeracy skills
- Seeking involvement of parents in developing numeracy skills
Numeracy Strategies at Mount Anville
Mount Anville strongly believes in the importance of embedding literacy and numeracy skills into all areas of the curriculum. To help us achieve this goal in line with the guidance given in the The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People (2011-2020) we have a numeracy committee who meet regularly. We encourage & promote the following strategies:
- Puzzle Club (takes place once a week at lunchtime)
- Numeracy Week
- Competency testing at beginning and end of first year
- STAR approach to problem solving (Search, Translate, Answer, Review)
- Numeracy Posters throughout the school
- Numeracy based competitions including numeracy treasure hunt, numeracy logo competition
- Mathematical and other problem solving tasks in study area and library
- Increase competency in the ability of problem solving.
Using the ‘Star’ initiative to embed problem solving skills throughout the Junior side of the school.
Problem solving skills will be tested at the beginning and end of the year.
- Create a ‘Puzzles Club’ . This club will aim to increase the engagement with Numeracy on an extra-curricular level. Attendance will be tracked throughout the year.
- To maintain probability target reached in 2015/16.
Probability will be measured in competency tests at the beginning and end of the year.
Links
Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life
http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Literacy-and-Numeracy/Literacy-and-Numeracy-Learning-For-Life.pdf
Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life Summarised Version
http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Literacy-and-Numeracy/Literacy-and-Numeracy-for-Learning-and-Life-summarised-version-.pdf
Supporting Numeracy at home http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/learningathome/supportingnumeracy/
PDST Numeracy Resources