The Numicon Approach in Key Stage 2
Many of you have been patiently waiting for the long promised next stage in the Numicon Teaching Programme for Key Stage 2, Numicon Kit 3. We are now confident that we will be publishing Kit 3 in January 2011.
Different teachers and children have been developing and trialling Numicon Activities for Key Stage 2 over the past two and a half years, and in the process have made some adjustments to the Numicon Teaching Approach. There is a much greater emphasis on putting the maths into practical problem solving situations that engage children, such as fairgrounds and pirates, there are also activities involving the reasoning about numbers aspect of problem solving. Teachers find that the activities provide plenty of opportunities for conversation with and between children, which helps with assessment of pupil’s understanding. Children are enjoying the activities and readily engage with solving the problems. We haven’t forgotten the importance of activities that help children learn the essential number facts and ideas that they need to solve the problems – so these are included as well.
