Numeracy is the knowledge, skills,
behaviors and dispositions that students
need in order to use mathematics in a
wide range of situations.
It involves recognizing and
understanding the role of mathematics
in the world and having the dispositions
and capacities to use mathematical
knowledge and skills purposefully.
Basic number concepts and skills
(numeracy) generally emerge before
school entry.
It is important to promote the
development of these competencies in
young children and to know the best
learning methods, as these skills are
often predictive of children’s future
school achievement.
Numeracy is sometimes defined as
understanding how numbers represent
specific magnitudes.
This understanding is reflected in a
variety of skills and knowledge (ex.
counting, distinguishing between sets of
unequal quantities, operations such as
addition and subtraction), and so
numeracy often is used to refer to a wide
range of number-related concepts and
skills.
The idea of exposing young children to
Early Childhood Mathematical Education
(ECME) has been around for more than a
century, but current discussions revolve
around the goals of early training in
numeracy and the methods by which these
goals should be achieved.
Early mathematical learning can and
should be integrated in children’s everyday
activities through encounters with patterns,
quantity, and space.
Giving children ample and developmentally
appropriate opportunities to practice their
skills in mathematics, can strengthen the link
between children’s early abilities in
mathematics and the acquisition of
mathematical knowledge in school.
Unfortunately, children do not all have an
equal chance to exercise these skills, hence the
importance of ECME. Research on numeracy
and early mathematical skills is important to
formulate the program and objectives of
ECME.
Difficulties in mathematics are relatively
common among school-age children.
Approximately 1 in 10 children will be
diagnosed with a learning disorder
related to mathematics during their
education.
One of the most severe forms is
developmental dyscalculia, which refers
to an inability to count and tally
collections of items and to distinguish
numbers from one another.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF
NUMERACY
A child's first years are a time of rapid
learning and development. Babies and
toddlers can recognize number, patterns,
and shapes. They use maths concepts to
make sense of their world and connect
these concepts with their environment
and everyday activities.
For example, when playing, children may
sort or choose toys according to size,
shape, weight or color.
While much of the teaching of concepts and
skills to support numeracy happens in the
mathematics learning area, it is
strengthened as students take part in
activities that connect their learning in the
mathematics classroom within the context of
other curriculum areas.
These capabilities allow students to respond
to familiar and unfamiliar situations by
employing mathematics to make informed
decisions and solve problems efficiently.
As they move through their years of
schooling, students are exposed to
mathematical:
UNDERSTANDING
FLUENCY
PROBLEM SOLVING
REASONING
There is also evidence that other areas of
development, such as resilience and
perseverance, support achievement in
numeracy.
Mathematics gives students access to
important mathematical ideas, knowledge
and skills. Numeracy connects this learning
with their personal and work lives.
Numeracy has an increasingly important
role in enabling and sustaining cultural,
social, economic and technological
advances.
Every child should learn maths. It helps children
develop problem-solving skills, reasoning
abilities, and spatial awareness. This is likely
because maths is essential for making decisions
and understanding our environment.
Though some people are not good at math, it
is essential to see that numeracy has a role in
early childhood. This is because numeracy
skills allow children to think critically and solve
problems. Early exposure to numeracy can help
set a strong foundation for success in
mathematics and other areas of life.
