This Natural Maths course with Ann Baker provides a range of practical ideas, backed by research, to ensure that your students have a firm foundation in numeracy and that the numeracy gap between students is as small as possible.

This course supports the teaching of the ACM for Foundation: ACMNA001, ACMNA002, ACMNA003, ACMNA289 and ACMNA004

This web course is designed for teachers of preschool and Foundation year students (and is useful for teachers of older students who are not yet grasping the fundamentals of number sense). It outlines practical strategies for effectively supporting young learners to master the critical early steps in their numeracy development. It is aligned with the expectations of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics and the National Numeracy Learning Progression.

Students enter school at very different levels of numeracy. Unfortunately, some have little or no exposure to number, measurement or spatial thinking. These prenumerate children may have no idea how or why numbers are used in everyday life and their mathematical vocabulary might be limited to only 6 to 10 words. Some students may not be prenumerate but still have very limited mathematical experiences.

Research is VERY clear. The failure to effectively develop a student’s number sense in the first months of school can undermine their numeracy and mathematical progress for years to come.

This course is divided into four modules that uses video and text to cover the following topics:

1. Introduction and research

• • What do we know about the developmental stages of numeracy?
  • Where has the research come from?
  • What does it tell us in respect to what we need to do differently?

2. Early number sense

• • What is number sense?
  • How does it develop?
  • Why do some students have difficulties developing it?

3. Counting

• • Strategies that work.
  • Problems students encounter.
  • Identifying misconceptions students have and correcting them.

4. Connecting the key skills – subitizing, counting and number recognition

• • How to practically deliver experiences to build these skills?
  • How does it develop?
  • Why do some students have difficulties developing it?

Personalised Learning.

All modules take just over an hour to complete. They do not however have to be finished in one session. Once you’ve purchased this course, you’ll have it forever.

Videos are used to introduce topics and to demonstrate students engaging in activities. You’ll see what activities look like in real settings. Course texts explain how to plan, organize and deliver an effective program and are downloadable.  This course also includes a copy of the Subitizing: Laying the Foundations for Numeracy book  – recent winner of an Academics’ Choice Award.

When questions arise, as we are sure they will, they can be posted online in the course environment for either a public or private response by Ann. Responses are delivered as promptly as possible.

Certification

On course completion you will have access to a certificate for 6 hours of Professional Development.