Numeracy is a proficiency which involves confidence and competence with numbers and
measures. It requires an understanding of the number system, a repertoire of computational
skills and an inclination and ability to solve number problems in a variety of contexts.
Numeracy also demands practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered
by counting and measuring, and is presented in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables.
As a teacher you can help children to acquire this proficiency by giving a
sharp focus to the relevant aspects of the programmes of study for mathematics. The
outcome should be numerate pupils who are confident enough to tackle mathematical problems
without going immediately to teachers or friends for help. Your pupils should:
have a sense of the size of a number and where it fits into the number
system;
know by heart number facts such as number bonds, multiplication tables,
doubles and halves;
use what they know by heart to figure out answers mentally;
calculate accurately and efficiently, both mentally and with pencil and
paper, drawing on a range of calculation strategies;
recognise when it is appropriate to use a calculator, and be able to do
so effectively;
make sense of number problems, including non-routine problems, and
recognise the operations needed to solve them;
explain their methods and reasoning using correct mathematical terms;
judge whether their answers are reasonable and have strategies for
checking them where necessary;
suggest suitable units for measuring, and make sensible estimates of
measurements; and
explain and make predictions from the numbers in graphs, diagrams,
charts and tables.
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