Numeracy

The strategies presented below have been mapped against the Progression of Numeracy Development – Numbers Strand - created by the Assessment Research Centre. The developmental progression is empirically based, meaning it was created by analysing large-scale student data taking into account evidence about the usual pathways students take when developing skills. The numeracy progression lists nutshell statements for each level as well as a more detailed progression for each numeracy strand (number, geometry, measurement, chance and data).

Progression of Numeracy Development

Progression of Numeracy Development – Table layout

The Numeracy Strategies for Skill-Level Grid takes into account a brief description of the strategies -considering the learning intention, the teaching strategies and the learning activities – for each developmental level. Strategies are organised taking into account three overlapping, flexible groups: junior years (from years 3 to 5), middle years (around years 5 and 8) and upper years (around years 8 to 10). This distinction acknowledges the different context for students even if they are at the same readiness to learn point.

Therefore, the activities are contextualised according to the year levels students are typically in, but retain the same learning intention aligned with the developmental level. For some developmental levels, however, no teaching strategies are proposed. This occurs at upper years for Levels A and B and junior years for Levels J, K and L. These are shaded grey in recognition of the fact that students at these particular year level may be outside of the typical distribution in a mainstream school and that specialist support may be desirable.This grid is designed for teachers and Professional Learning Teams to fill out and use as a working document.

Numeracy Strategies by Skill-Level Grid – Microsoft Excel

Numeracy Strategies by Skill-Level Grid – Printable PDF version (designed to be printed on two A3 sheets of paper for teams who wish to work on hard copy)

The strategies presented a means of promoting professional discourse: discourse about student developmental reading levels, discourse about the elements of comprehension, discourse about teacher content knowledge, and discourse about teacher pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers are advised to use the strategies as starting points for discussions during professional learning team meetings.

Strategies are provided in the form of a sample PLT log for each level on the Progression of Numeracy for the Numbers strand.

Below you will find templates of the taxonomy for identifying, classifying and interrelating teaching strategies for the numeracy nutshell statements as well as the numeracy strands of the progression of numeracy development. These templates are designed to prompt teachers thinking in regards to strategies, and are to be used as a tool to critically evaluate the appropriateness of using a particular strategy to achieve the desired learning intention.

Numeracy Nutshell Statements

Geometry

Data and Chance

Measurement

Number

EBook boxes

Some of the professional learning team logs refer to different eBook boxes, available on the Ultranet as Design Space 66512121. The list of the eBook boxes recommended is:

1. Common Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
2. Patterns and relationships
3. Working with Numbers
4. Functions and Modelling
5. Algebraic
6. Quadratic and Exponential Functions
7. Introducing Quadratic Functions