Numicon Online NZ

Utilising the Oxford Owl platform, full school access to “Firm Foundations Online” and “Numicon Online” - all year levels.

Numicon Online NZ subscription includes all the lessons and teaching resources AND the NZ version digital ebooks of the printed Teacher Handbooks.

This provides a choice for teachers to use.

  • Guidance on how to teach mathematics is provided in the ehandbooks and lesson platform. This is particularly welcomed for teachers building their own knowledge of maths and when following a new approach of explicit instruction, rich tasks, communication and building a positive relationship with maths.
  • The Teaching Progressions are presented in a spiral sequence enabling the children to continually revisit concepts through all the strands and the year. This enables long term memory and in-depth knowledge as well as seeing how all the strands in maths are connected.
  • Planning: The lessons are written with links to NZ Mathematics and Statistics Crurriculum with names, places and NZ currency. Lesson support planning and including the use of the visual software. Introductory ‘front of class’ slides from which teachers can create their own to build their knowledge and be suitable for the class. Lesson templates are provided to plan the hour of maths. Teachers can also design their own, bringing their own creativity and experience to the lessons.
  • The content of the lessons includes rich tasks and activities increasing in complexity and depth satisfying the more able students. The activities include discoveries, practice and games. The children recording their findings/results. These activities encourage collaboration and independence. Many of these activities extend the more able student with in-depth investigations related to the everyday world of mathematics and life. Student Books for whole class and paired discussion provides opportunities to practice their learning of the key mathematical ideas and apply them in the Going Deeper problem solving and investigations found in the Student Books.
  • The design of the lessons is written as ‘low threshold-high ceiling’ learning experiences and includes: Reference to previous learning, ‘setting a scene’ for the context of the learning, explicit teaching as ‘step by step’  with follow-up and closing discussions reflecting on the learning, enjoying the learning and extending the concepts for the more able students. This supports all teachers, to plan their week, learn how to teach, extend the more able students, support those who need an adapted approach, and how and when to formatively assess in the moment of teaching. There are links to the resources needed for the lesson:
    • a community image for conversations and context for learning
    • words and terms for conversation and learning
    • maths knowledge for teachers
    • whole class discussions
    • photocopy masters
    • practice and extension activities for school and home
    • opening questions of the Student Books for discussion (Years 3 – 8)
    • assessment files
    • ‘front of class’ videos
    • A tab for each step in the teaching sequence of the lesson

•       Assessment: Teacher ‘prompts’ and watchpoints are included in the lessons to assist teachers with noticing the learning or difficulties and how to support the student. Weekly assessment includes Student Assessment Cards provide the opportunity for students to check their own learning. The cards can also be used for summative assessment. Explorer Progress Assessment pages provide the opportunity for the students to demonstrate knowledge and application for the week of teaching. Tracking files record the weekly progress with connections to the curriculum

  • Digital resources also include downloadable files of Te Reo resources, Statistics and Probability for each year level, Managing mixed levels (composite classes), 

Numicon is powerful for all learners

Numicon is known for its success in building strong foundations in Phase 1. The rich teaching programme, incorporating manipulatives is more importantly successful with Phases 2 and 3 when concepts begin to get more complex.  Number ideas are very abstract, and children need to have these presented to them in a wide variety of ways every year.

In the Numicon approach, we offer children in Phases 1, 2 and 3, multi-sensory activities in a broad range of everyday mathematical experiences and contexts so that their understanding of number ideas is very richly varied.  Numicon provides year by year teaching overviews that are sequenced to build on prior knowledge.   Every lesson has detailed explanations and examples on how to support students learning new concepts through doing, from Year 0 through to 8. 

Activating Prior Knowledge

A strong foundation in mathematics begins with activating prior knowledge. Numicon reviews previous learning in a systematic way,  engaging students' existing knowledge, making it easier to integrate new concepts.

Step-by-Step Learning

Introducing new material in small, manageable steps is crucial for student comprehension. Teachers can utilise Numicon to provide a detailed script with clear visual representations of mathematical concepts, helping students make sense of new ideas. This gradual approach allows for a more thorough understanding and reduces the cognitive load on students, as they can physically manipulate the Numicon shapes to explore mathematical relationships.

 

Encouraging Explanation

Asking questions is a powerful tool in the classroom. By encouraging students to articulate their thought processes and explain their reasoning, teachers can help them connect new learning to existing knowledge. Numicon includes the introduction of mathematical language with every new concept and provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding using explicit language to explain their thinking. 

Utilising Diverse Representations

One of Numicon’s strengths is its ability to provide multiple representations of mathematical concepts. By incorporating Numicon’s tactile shapes, teachers can help students visualise numbers, patterns, and operations, greatly enhancing their conceptual understanding. Different representations allow students to approach problems from various angles, fostering flexible thinking and deeper mathematical insight.

 

 Modelling Procedures

Modelling mathematical procedures clearly supports all new learning. By demonstrating how to approach problems step-by-step with Numicon, teachers can help alleviate cognitive load and guide students through the learning process. This visual modelling is particularly beneficial for complex concepts that may seem daunting at first glance.  

Contextual Word Problems

Incorporating word problems into lessons serves as an effective means for students to apply their mathematical knowledge. Using Numicon to represent these problems visually enables students to see the relevance of what they are learning and encourages them to think critically about how to solve real-world issues.