What is Numeracy? Why does it Matter?

Numeracy is the ‘number based’ maths we need and use as we go about our daily lives. It is a life skill which helps us plan our time, work out best value for money, prepare a meal and collect and organise information, for example working out the number of rolls of wallpaper needed to decorate a room. Numeracy and maths skills are needed for a wide range of jobs too.

In Angus, we encourage staff to point out the importance of Numeracy in lessons. This is done by making it clear to pupils what they are learning and why they are learning it. Where possible, pupils will have the chance to use and apply their Numeracy skills in real and meaningful ways, for example by helping to organise a school event. Staff will also show how Numeracy is needed in other subjects, for example measuring liquid for a Science experiment and making a graph of their results.

PARENTZONE
This website contains some simple ideas for building numeracy skills into your child’s everyday activities:

HOW CAN I HELP?
A set of six posters with ideas for developing skills in information handling, measurement, mental calculation, money, numbers and time.
Each poster has examples suitable for Early Years, Primary and Secondary aged pupils. Two of them are shown here:

I AM A MATHEMATICIAN
This resource provides fun activities to do at home. The activities are arranged under three headings:
Clever Counters – suitable for lower primary-age children
Cool Calculators – suitable for the middle stages of primary
Number Crunchers – suitable for upper primary-age children

TWENTY-ONE SERIOUSLY COOL CAREERS THAT NEED MATHS
This slide show highlights the maths behind a wide range of careers, from computer games designers to doctors and fashion designers. It is suitable for upper primary and secondary-age children.