Sharing Learning through the NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Programme

Working in partnership with local communities to support educational journeys and

achievements

• Address educational disadvantage and its impact on personal and career development

• Provide a range of innovative support programmes for children and their parents from early years to third level

• Uses community action research (Plan, Do, Review) to implement national policy and programmes

Collaborative Projects

Language

Literacy

Numeracy

Educational & Career Guidance

Parent Child Home Programme

Second & Third Level

Primary Parenting

Programmes

NEYAI Early Numeracy

Programme

Rationale

• Internal ELI evaluations highlighted the low levels of numeracy in the Docklands area as well as the lack of support for parents in Mathematics (ELI 2010).

• National and international reports (DES 2005a; Surgenor et al 2006; Shiel et al 2007; Eivers et al 2010) emphasised how young people in Ireland were poorly prepared for future Mathematical needs as students and citizens.

• International literature review revealed • Opportunities for pre-schoolers to learn mathematics are often very inadequate

(National Academy of Sciences 2009). • Enormous differences in the mathematical knowledge of children when they begin

school (US Maths Recovery Council 2005; Northwestern University 2007; Every Child a Chance Trust 2009)

• Those that are among the least advanced of their class remain so throughout their schooling and often give up on Mathematics.

• The lack of proficiency in maths-based subjects can be the trigger for non-completion at third level (HEA 2010).

Docklands Early Numeracy Project Objectives

• To improve the educational outcomes for children in the Docklands in numeracy

• To increase parental involvement in their children’s development, learning and education by providing a variety of on-going supports for parents of young children.

• To support early childhood care and education workforce in implementing Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and Síolta, The Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education

• To ensure continuity and progression in Mathematical learning for children moving from home to early years settings to the local schools

Community Action Research Usual Schedule of Events

Working Group

Meeting

24th September

Workshops for

Practitioners (CPD)

Onsite numeracy talks

for Parents

Meet and Greets

Facebook

Curriculum Priority

Activities

Curriculum Priority Event

Evaluation and

Assessments

NEYAI Numeracy Curriculum Objectives (Taken from Aistear)

Babies

(0-18 months)

Toddlers

(12 months – 3 years)

Young Children

(2½ -6 years)

Communication Watches, listens and responds to adults when they use Mathematical

language

Responds to and understands

Mathematical language in everyday

situations (p. 38)

• Develop basic counting skills (1-10)

• Develop an understanding of the meaning and use of numbers in their environment

• Understands and uses positional language such as up, down, out, behind

Exploring and

Thinking

Experience and begin to

understand simple cause and effect

Develop the concept of object

permanence

Compare, sort, categorise and order

things

Develop a sense of time, shape, size, space and place

• Classify, sequence, sort, match, look for and create patterns and shapes

• Develop an understanding of concepts like measures (weight, height, volume, money, time)

• Use mathematical symbols to give and record information, to describe and make sense of their own and others experience

• Develop higher-order thinking skills such as problem-solving, predicting, analysing, questioning and justifying

Themes for 2014-2017

Year 1

2014-2015

Year 2

2015-2016

Year 3

2016-2017

Term 1

Positional Language

Time

Money

Term 2

Counting

Measurement

Number

Term 3

Shapes

Sequence and

Pattern

Symbols in the Environment

NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Working Group

• Chosen for your interest in the project and in early numeracy as well as your ability to lead the project in their setting.

• Meet 4 times a year approx. (June, September and December 2011)

• Communicating between services and working group (open, honest, critical, responsible)

• Responsible for developing, planning and implementing the programme at front-line service delivery level using the community action research process

Role of the Working Group

• Bring and share early numeracy expertise and experience from working with various age-groups

• Network with other settings

• Input re. Theme/ Focus of Curriculum Priority Week

• Input re. Resources, Activities etc.

• Communicate info. to their staff team

• Involve wider community

Co-ordinate curriculum priority week & related events in school/setting e.g. awareness of existing resources to complement

c.p. wk activities

First card – Changes

A4 rather than A5

Different cards for different age groups

Emphasise conversations

Categorising Play p. 54

Space for recording experiences & thoughts

Signed

Indicative Evidence (Veerman and van Yperen 2007)

860 children (0-6 years) and their families take part each term

Children's numeracy skills have improved and they are scoring to, if not above in some cases, national norms in Maths.

‘The children really grasped the concept, reinforced at home and in school. Maths was great fun.’

ECCE practitioners are more skilled in supporting children's numeracy outcomes ( 99% N=457)

Quality of their practice had improved (99% N=458)

Parents are more involved in their children’s learning (88% N=136)

97% (N=149) of parents would recommend the numeracy week/activities to a friend.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Number Size & Comparison Shape Direction & Position Mental Maths Maths Skills Overall Score

Ave

rage

% S

core

NEYAI Numeracy Assessments' Results 2013-14

Pre-school Year (3-4 years)

Nov-13

May-14

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Number Measures Shape Maths Skills Mental Maths Total Std

Standard Scores For NEYAI Vs Non NEYAI Centres

Summary Number Measures Shape

Maths

Skills

Mental

Maths Total Std

NEYAI Centres 67% 79% 84% 83% 20% 73%

Non NEYAI Centres 86% 82% 90% 85% 40% 84%

Delta 19% 3% 6% 2% 20% 11%

Impact on children (N=445) Impact on parents (N=309)

Improved understanding of numeracy concepts (60% N=265)

Enjoyed numeracy activities (31% N=140)

Parents more involved (9% N=40)

Increased Involvement (47% N=146)

Awareness & learning (28% N=88)

Enjoyed activities (24% N=75)

The children took a huge interest in measuring, weighing, they started seeing everything in the room as something to potentially measure or weigh. They also started using the terminology

I felt the games we played in class and putting actions to rhymes worked very well. The children really grasped the idea of positional language as they could see it and understand rather than it being an abstract concept

The theme of money was easy for the children to relate to and they could experience it at first hand. We conducted the money value exercise for all children in the class. We took them to the stores and taught them how to use money

Children enjoyed the rhymes and they love hearing new counting rhymes. It has had a strong impact on the children because parents have said that the older children are currently trying to learn the counting rhymes, both at home and out and about.

Celebration Event

Implementing NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Project

St Andrew’s Child Care Service

Implementing NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Project

Holy Child Preschool

Conclusions/ Recommendations

• Process of community action research provides evidence of effective implementation as well as enabling continuous improvement

• Aistear works as a curriculum framework for planning, implementation & evaluation

• Genuine community involvement in decision process is crucial (through Working Group and Consortium Meetings).

• Multiple methods for parents to engage with (workshops, home based activity cards, Facebook and Curriculum Priority events in ECCE Services, Schools, through PHNs, Home Visitors, After Schools and Libraries)

• Community wide focus on numeracy fosters multi-sectoral working, involvement of parents, curriculum planning and better numeracy outcomes for children.

Future Challenges

• NEYAI Programme has ended so transferring into the Area Based Childhood Programme

• Consortium and working group larger

• New services coming on board

• Reviewing & improving the programme

• Involving parents

• Being prepared

• Time for communication (staff & parents)

• Handling on-going challenges: evaluations; changes in personnel & in the sector; bereavements; flooding; illness etc.