Giving our young learnersthe Best possible Start in numeracy

Overview Mathematics Teaching and Learning Cycle DET numeracy programs Count Me In Too CMIT), Best Start, Targeted Early Numeracy (TEN) Changes to the Early Numeracy Continuum Building Routines in the classroom Teaching Resources and internet links

Reflect on your current practice How much of your teaching time is proportioned to mathematics?

How do you currently teach mathematics?

What documents do you currently use to inform planning, teaching and assessing?

Foundation StatementsFoundation Statements set out a clear picture of the knowledge, skills andunderstanding that each student should develop at each stage of primaryschool.

Mathematics K 6 SyllabusEmbedded in all DET syllabus documents is an understanding that explicit and systematic teaching and learning will best occur when teachers follow the process articulated by the teaching and learning cycle.

Teaching and Learning CycleDiscuss with a partner what you think is in the Teaching and Learning cycle.

Draw the Teaching and Learning cycle on a piece of paper.

Teaching and Learning Cycle

DET Numeracy Programs

Count Me In TooThe Count Me In Too (CMIT) numeracy program is an on-going initiative of the DET. The program melds findings from research about how children learn mathematics, with research on effective professional development.Aim Help teachers understand childrens mathematical development. Improve childrens achievement in mathematics.

Count Me In Too

Count Me In TooThe transition from unitary strategies to collection-based strategies underpins the structure of the framework.

Teaching and Learning Cycle

Where are my students now?Best Start assesses students school entry skills and understandings. It is the assessment and evaluation that drives planning & teaching. Careful planning creates the most appropriate teaching & learning activities to lift the students to the next level of understanding.

What do I want my students to learn?How is my teaching program going to cater for the students needs?The syllabus should be used to plan and program explicit teaching experiences.OutcomesScope and continuumKey ideas

How will my students get there?What will I do to maximise student learning opportunity to meet the syllabus outcomes?What will the students do (or produce) to demonstrate attainment of syllabus outcomes?How well do I expect them to do?

How do I know when my students get there? Consistent teacher judgement is essential. The value of your professional knowledge of the students. Continuous assessmentHave the students achieved the syllabus outcomes?

2010 Best Start results1A Forward number word sequencesNumber of students not assessed1197 1.9%

Aspect 1: Counting Sequences

Emergent(Level 0)Initial (10)(Level 1)Intermediate (10)(Level 2)Facile (10)(Level 3)Facile (30)(Level 4)Facile (100)(Level5)706520,2207,47916,9197,1063,17211.2%32%11.8%26.8%11.3%5%

2010 Best Start results1B Numeral IdentificationNumber of students not assessed1218 1.8%

Aspect 1: Counting Sequences

Emergent(Level 0)1 - 10(Level 1)1 - 20(Level 2)1 100(Level 3)26,45025,5724896502241.9%40.5%7.8%8%

2010 Best Start resultsAspect 2: Counting as a problem solving process Early arithmetical strategiesNumber of students not assessed1255 2%

Emergent(0)Perceptual(1)Figurative(2)Counting-on-and-back(3)Facile (4)25,68129,6025,3201,09720340.7%46.9%8.4%1.7%0.3%

Early Arithmetical Strategies (EAS)EmergentPerceptual Figurative Counting-on-and-backFacile

Linking EAS levels to the Syllabus

EAS LevelDescriptionSyllabus linkEmergentCannot count visible items. Does not know the number words or coordinate number words with items.Working towards NES1.2PerceptualAble to count perceived items. Builds numbers by using materials or fingers to find the total count.NES1.2FigurativeDetermines the total of two concealed groups but starts counting from one to do so.NS1.2Counting-on-and-backCounts-on (or back) from a number rather than counting from one to solve addition and subtraction tasks. Has a sense that the count of one of the numbers has already occurred.NS1.2FacileUses a range of non-count-by-one strategies such as use of doubles and near-doubles.NS1.2NS2.2

Early Numeracy Continuum

Changes to the continuumFNWS : Counts beyond 100 (NS2.1)

BNWS: Counts backwards from any number (NS2.1)

Counting sequences - verbal & written labels

Early Arithmetical Strategies EAS

In the perceptual and figurative levels, the text has been rewritten in dot points so that it was easier to read.

The last 2 points from the facile level have been moved down to the aspect Pattern and number structure. The combinations to 10 and 20 are part-whole knowledge and are closely linked to patterning.

The ladder at Counting-on-and-back and in the first level in Place value is to show that the students must be at the Counting-on-and-back level to be on the Place value framework.

Changes to the continuum

Place value and Multiplication & division

Some of the text has been changed to dot points. Place value has been put before Multiplication & division.Changes to the continuum

Targeted Early Numeracy (TEN)The program recognises that a small percentage of students are at risk of numeracy failure, despite participation within a quality early numeracy program.

Teaching occurs within a normal daily lesson block, without withdrawal or an additional specialist teacher.

Early Arithmetical StrategiesThe Early Arithmetical Strategies (EAS) aspect of the Best Start Early Numeracy Continuum underpins the assessment and teaching of the TEN program.

TEN targetsBroad targets have been set to assist teachers in identifying students for participation in the program:Broad Kindergarten targetAll Kindergarten students will have reached at least the perceptual counting stage in the range to 20 by the end of the year. Broad Year 1 targetAll Year 1 students will be at least able to show figurative counting across the decade by the end of the year. Broad Year 2 targetAll Year 2 students will be at least counting-on-and-back in the range to 30 by the end of the year.

Building classroom routinesFactors for consideration:

High repetition of activities.

Activities should occur throughout the day NOT only in the mathematics lesson.

Even though TEN concentrates on EAS, activities on other aspects such as FNWS and BNWS are also important.

TEN focuses on short, focussed and frequent sessions within the classroom, using activities designed to move these students to the next stage in the framework.

ShortFocussedFrequent

How can the activities be a part of the teaching day?Think about your class routine. What are some of the activities that occur within your classroom?

Short Sharp Frequent

DENS - Three minute lesson breakersThere are plenty of teachable moments in a day that dont have to be written into your timetable.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for teachers? Time for programming to cater for different ability groups Time to devise learning activities Time to create resources Time for classroom organisationTIME

DET Resources

Curriculum SupportProgramming SupportTeaching Resources

Where to next? An effective numeracy lesson Creating Early Learning Plans

Differentiating learning objects

There can be no doubt that the first three years of school (K 2) have a profound effect on the rest of the childs mathematical education, because it is in the first three years that the child first experiences success or failure, interest or boredom, challenge or frustration.

Bob Wright Mathematics in the Lower Primary YearsMathematics Education Research Journal, 1994

1. Do you teach maths everyday?BOS guidelines for proportion of time teaching mathematics 20% - however teachers have flexibility in accordance with school policy.2. Ability grouped across stage? Mixed ability? Text book/student workbook?3. Foundation statements, syllabus outcomes and key ideas, syllabus support documents

Foundation statements - answer the question What must be taught in schools.replace stage statements from syllabus are broader than outcomesT & L cycle represents the four stages that occur in the design and delivery of classroom tasks that incorporate an outcomes-based approach. The cycle has not start or end point, with each step informing the next.There is a process of gathering data and reflection on students progress and the teaching program that guides the next step.Teachers are viewed as active learners and are encouraged to examine their own teaching practices and to focus on the mathematics children can do and how they do it.**Supporting Teachers in the Development of Young Childrens Mathematical Thinking: Three Large Scale Cases Mathematics Education Research Journal , 2005 Bobis, J; Clarke, B; Clarke, D; Thomas, G; Wright, R; Young-Loveridge, J; Gould, P

The Learning Framework in Number is embedded within the Mathematics syllabus. It is the central guiding framework for assessment and teaching. The six parts of the framework describe the key aspects of early number learning students strategies or knowledge and a range of tasks for assessment. The aspects should not be regarded as distinct from one another, or absolutely sequential they overlap and interrelate. The Best Start assessment provides critical information for teaching and learning programs that meet the individual needs of students.

When we are teaching, it is important to provide opportunities for students to achieve at all levels.Observations of students progress and recordings are a good way of keeping track of where students are in their continuum of learning.SENA - diagnostic interview assessment schedule, the Schedule for Early Number Assessment 1(SENA 1) and the Schedule for Early Number Assessment 2 (SENA 2), provide teachers with information on students understanding and strategies in solving challenging problems.Syllabus outcomes - specific statements of knowledge, skills and understandings to be achieved by most students as a result of effective teaching and learning of mathematics by the end of each stage. Scope and continuum overview of the sequence of learning for particular concepts in mathematics it is not a checklist of teaching ideas a variety learning experiences need to be planned and presented to students to maximise opportunities for achievement of outcomes.Key ideas summarise the content statements K & S and WM - statements related to the knowledge and skills students need to understand and apply in order to achieve the outcome content written for whole stage spans over 2 years

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The Quality Teaching framework should be considered here.1. Teaching strategies, classroom organisation and learning environment.2. Learning strategies and processes.3. We should have high expectations of student performance & achievement. Our planning, instructions, modelling and feedback to the students is crucial.Focus on a small number of students at one time. Work with a small group of students to observe the strategies they are using.Have students keep maths journals where they describe the strategies they use.Take photos of students working on an activity and use that for teaching of a strategy.

Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) - BOSLevel 0 Cannot count to 10Level 1 Count to 10 but cant give number afterLevel 2 Counts to 10 and gives the number after, but counts from oneLevel 3 Counts to 10 and gives the number afterLevel 4 Counts to 30 and gives the number afterLevel 5 Counts to 100 and gives the number afterLevel 0 May identify some but not all nu8merals 1 - 10Level 1 Identifies all the numerals 1 - 10Level 2 Identifies all the numerals 1 - 20Level 3 Identifies the numerals 1 - 100Emergent cannot count visible itemsPerceptual counts visible items, uses materials to represent each number to find the total countFigurative counts concealed items, counts from oneCounting-on-and-back counts on or back to solve problems, a number takes the place of a completed countFacile/flexible Uses known facts and other non-count-by-one strategies (e.g. compensation)One of the difficulties with inefficient strategies is that, although they are slower, they still work. This means that inefficient strategies can be very persistent.The Numeracy Continuum is a part of a K-6 Continuum being developed. The K-6 Continuum incorporates the extensive research based Learning Framework In Number from the Count Me In Too program. The K-6 Continuum will also include Fractions and Measurement.The framework provides viewpoints for observing young students strategies in number and documenting their number knowledge.The aspects in the framework should not be regarded as distinct from one another, nor absolutely sequential they overlap and interrelate.The Targeted Early Numeracy (TEN) intervention program fulfils a Government commitment to provide support for students experiencing substantial difficulty in learning numeracy in the early years.

TEN facilitators work in participating schools to: - deliver professional learning sessions, provide in-class support, assist teachers with data analysis, support the monitoring of student progress.

Does your classroom have a kit of essential resources??