Numicon Staircase

Can they lay out the Numicon pieces

in order to create a staircase?

Ask your child to cover their eyes

and remove one piece. Can they tell

you which piece is missing?

Dice

Can they match the number thrown

to a Numicon piece?

Can they add together the Numicon

pieces and the number of the dice?

An Introduction to

Numicon

A parents’ guide to learning Numicon with your child.

What is Numicon?

Numicon is a multi-sensory mathematics teaching programme using visual

Numicon images to teach a series of activities. There are currently three stag-

es to the programme: Foundation, Stage 1 and Stage 2.

When Numicon patterns are arranged in order, children begin to notice

important connections between numbers. For example, that each number is

one more than the last and one fewer than the next, odd and even numbers

and place value. Numicon illustrates number bonds, addition and subtraction,

place value, doubling and halving, estimation, division and multiplication.

It is essential that children experience number in a wide range of ways and

situations because the wider their experiences the more they will be able to

use their understanding in new situations. The activities below are simple

ways in which you can use Numicon at home with your child.

Each activity will help you and your child become more familiar with the

Numicon pieces, and provide opportunities to develop early mathematical

conversations.

Painting with Numicon

Using the Numicon pieces to print

with.

Making finger printing patterns.

Marbles

How many marbles can

they put in each piece?

If your child was to take a

handful of marbles, which

Numicon piece could

they fit them in, exactly?

Playdough

Pushing Numicon pieces into play

dough to create a pattern

Asking your child which Numicon

piece has made this pattern.

Counting how many bumps there

are.

Asking your child which two pieces

could cover the pattern.