Who is Numicon for?
Numicon is a quality first teaching approach designed to give children the understanding of number ideas and number relationships that is essential for success in maths. We use a series of structured patterns - Numicon shapes - to represent numbers, as part of a progressive teaching programme.
There are at least five thousand schools in UK already using Numicon for teaching numeracy. As a research based programme Numicon is respected by many educators and the independent evidence base is growing. Numicon is recommended by many Local Authorities in England and the use of Numicon overseas is increasing too.
Children really enjoy working with Numicon, which should be used as
part of their maths work. The resources can be used for whole class
primary maths teaching, small groups and for individual support.
Teachers report a marked increase in children’s confidence when they
are working with Numicon and that leads to raised achievement.
Please refer to the setting below which is most applicable to you and your pupils and follow the link for full details and advice...
Numicon for use at Home
Playing with Numicon Shapes helps young children learn about number ideas and how numbers fit together, in a way not provided by just written materials. Children's early experiences of maths have a huge impact on their later achievement so we have developed resources specifically for children and parents.
Numicon for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Our resources cover the key mathematical ideas that are so
essential as a foundation for all further mathematical thinking.
The teaching materials within our Kits are linked to the EYFS development bands.
Numicon for Key Stage 1... and beyond
The
multi-sensory teaching programmes in both Kit 1 and Kit 2 help children
to secure understanding and help teachers to meet the Primary Strategy
Objectives for Years 1 and 2. This area also includes advice for using the resources for primary maths in Key Stage 1 and further.
Numicon for Special Needs and Intervention
Numicon’s
small steps teaching programme with its use of strong visual imagery
and the emphasis on pattern and language is proving successful for
pupils who are experiencing difficulty, including those who have special
needs.
The resources are also successfully used for Wave 3 Intervention
programmes. If you are interested in using Numicon specifically for Intervetion please see the details on our training programme for TAs and/or Teachers involved in Maths Intervention. Numicon is
unique in this form of intervention training in supporting trainee’s
subject knowledge, pedagogy and classroom practice through a
multi-sensory approach to number representation and we hope that you
will be interested in and then benefit from CtGNIP. This has been
developed to support Every Child Counts but is applicable to any school
interested in maths intervention for 6 - 11 year olds.
Age Ranges and Abilities
Numicon was originally developed for all children in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, however, many teachers use Numicon successfully throughout Key Stage 2. The teaching programme has also proved very successful for pupils who are experiencing difficulties including those who have SENs.
The age ranges below are for guidance only and each child's needs should be assessed on a case by case basis. Numicon Kits are widely used for older children that are struggling with maths. The Kits work in progression, so after completing the Activities in a Kit the pupils are then ready to move on to the next Kit, i.e. after completing on the Closing the Gap with Numicon Activities the pupils can progress to Kit One.
| Numicon Kit: | End-user ages: | Curriculum Levels: |
| 1st Steps with Numicon - At Home Kit | 3-5 (pre-schoolers) | |
| Firm Foundations Kit | 3-5 | EYFS |
| Firm Foundations for One to One | 3-5 (Home Learning) | EYFS |
| Kit 1 | 5-7 | 1 - 2b |
| Kit 1 for One to One | 5-7/SENs | 1 - 2b |
| Kit 2 | 7+ | 2b - 3 |
| Kit 2 for One to One | 7+/SENs | 2b - 3 |
| Closing the Gap with Numicon for Group Work | Any Age/SENs | P levels - 1 |
| Closing the Gap with Numcion for One to One | Any Age/SENs | P levels - 1 |
