Numeracy
What is Numeracy?
Numeracy or ‘everyday maths’ is in everything that we do. Being numerate means having the confidence and skill to use numbers and mathematical approaches in all aspects of life - at school, at work, in practical everyday activities at home and beyond, as consumers, in managing finances, as patients making sense of health information and as citizens understanding the world around us.
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Being numerate means being able to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts and to apply these in a range of contexts and to solve a variety of problems. Being numerate is as much about thinking and reasoning logically as it is about completing calculations.
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It means being able to .....
Interpret data, charts and diagrams
Process information
Solve problems
Check answers
Understand and explain solutions
Make decisions based on logical thinking and reasoning.
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There will a monthly Numeracy Challenge for all tutor groups.
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Braunton Academy is committed to raising the standards of numeracy of all of its students, so that they develop the ability to use numeracy skills effectively in all areas of the curriculum and the skills necessary to cope confidently with the demands of further education, employment and adult life.
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The Mathematics team will deliver the National Curriculum knowledge, skills and understanding. They will make references to the applications of Mathematics in other subject areas and give contexts to many topics.
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Other curriculum teams will build on this knowledge and help students to apply them in a variety of situations.
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The transfer of skills is something that many students find difficult. It is essential to start from the basis that students realise it is the same skill that is being used; sometimes approaches in subjects differ so much that those basic connections are not made.
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Resources:
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Why is Numeracy important?
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Maths is everywhere. It’s in everything we do. Numeracy – or ‘everyday maths’ – isn’t just about classroom sums. Being numerate is a life skill that will help your child in many ways, at home, at school, and one day, at work too. Try the resource "Essentials of numeracy" at the foot of this page.
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“Perhaps the single most important thing that parents can do to help their children with maths is to pass on a positive attitude.”
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(Tanya Byron, clinical psychologist, professor in public understanding of science)
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Top Tips:
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Don’t say things like ‘I can’t do maths’ or ‘I hated maths at school’… your child might start to think like that themselves…
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Praise effort – this shows that by working hard they can always improve.
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Do talk about the maths in everyday life, and ask your child how they work out problems or questions.
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Do let your child enjoy talking about what they’ve learned, and praise them when they try hard.
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Don’t put pressure on your child to do written or timed sums.
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Do try out the National Numeracy Challenge yourself – the more confident you feel, the more you’ll be able to help your child.
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Think It.....
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Estimate - ask your child to guess how much your shopping will cost, or how much more food you'll need if extra people come for tea.
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Solve problems - three extra people are coming to tea, but we only have two extra chairs; how many more do we need?
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Plan - discuss journey planning including costs. How much petrol will you need? How can you get the best deal on bus/train tickets?
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Play It.....
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Play games with cards - players take two cards and add them together. The largest number wins. You can play this with subtraction, multiplication and division too.
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Sing counting songs. Read books, play games, watch TV and films about maths.
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See It.....
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Go on a shape hunt - how many circles, triangles, squares and rectangles can you see in everyday objects? You can look for patterns too.
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Look for numbers ... on doors, cars, buses, signs, advertisements, sports scores... anywhere. Talk about what the numbers mean.
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Touch It.....
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Play with things like shells, beads, bottle tops, lego, and compare them. These things are great for making patterns too.
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Put things in order of weight, height size etc. Ask your child to help you organise things at home.
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Resources:
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