Sharing Learning through the NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Programme
Working in partnership with local communities to support educational journeys and
achievements
• Address educational disadvantage and its impact on personal and career development
• Provide a range of innovative support programmes for children and their parents from early years to third level
• Uses community action research (Plan, Do, Review) to implement national policy and programmes
Collaborative Projects
Language
Literacy
Numeracy
Educational & Career Guidance
Parent Child Home Programme
Second & Third Level
Primary Parenting
Programmes
NEYAI Early Numeracy
Programme
Rationale
• Internal ELI evaluations highlighted the low levels of numeracy in the Docklands area as well as the lack of support for parents in Mathematics (ELI 2010).
• National and international reports (DES 2005a; Surgenor et al 2006; Shiel et al 2007; Eivers et al 2010) emphasised how young people in Ireland were poorly prepared for future Mathematical needs as students and citizens.
• International literature review revealed • Opportunities for pre-schoolers to learn mathematics are often very inadequate
(National Academy of Sciences 2009). • Enormous differences in the mathematical knowledge of children when they begin
school (US Maths Recovery Council 2005; Northwestern University 2007; Every Child a Chance Trust 2009)
• Those that are among the least advanced of their class remain so throughout their schooling and often give up on Mathematics.
• The lack of proficiency in maths-based subjects can be the trigger for non-completion at third level (HEA 2010).
Docklands Early Numeracy Project Objectives
• To improve the educational outcomes for children in the Docklands in numeracy
• To increase parental involvement in their children’s development, learning and education by providing a variety of on-going supports for parents of young children.
• To support early childhood care and education workforce in implementing Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and Síolta, The Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education
• To ensure continuity and progression in Mathematical learning for children moving from home to early years settings to the local schools
Community Action Research Usual Schedule of Events
Working Group
Meeting
24th September
Workshops for
Practitioners (CPD)
Onsite numeracy talks
for Parents
Meet and Greets
Curriculum Priority
Activities
Curriculum Priority Event
Evaluation and
Assessments
NEYAI Numeracy Curriculum Objectives (Taken from Aistear)
Babies
(0-18 months)
Toddlers
(12 months – 3 years)
Young Children
(2½ -6 years)
Communication Watches, listens and responds to adults when they use Mathematical
language
Responds to and understands
Mathematical language in everyday
situations (p. 38)
• Develop basic counting skills (1-10)
• Develop an understanding of the meaning and use of numbers in their environment
• Understands and uses positional language such as up, down, out, behind
Exploring and
Thinking
Experience and begin to
understand simple cause and effect
Develop the concept of object
permanence
Compare, sort, categorise and order
things
Develop a sense of time, shape, size, space and place
• Classify, sequence, sort, match, look for and create patterns and shapes
• Develop an understanding of concepts like measures (weight, height, volume, money, time)
• Use mathematical symbols to give and record information, to describe and make sense of their own and others experience
• Develop higher-order thinking skills such as problem-solving, predicting, analysing, questioning and justifying
Themes for 2014-2017
Year 1
2014-2015
Year 2
2015-2016
Year 3
2016-2017
Term 1
Positional Language
Time
Money
Term 2
Counting
Measurement
Number
Term 3
Shapes
Sequence and
Pattern
Symbols in the Environment
NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Working Group
• Chosen for your interest in the project and in early numeracy as well as your ability to lead the project in their setting.
• Meet 4 times a year approx. (June, September and December 2011)
• Communicating between services and working group (open, honest, critical, responsible)
• Responsible for developing, planning and implementing the programme at front-line service delivery level using the community action research process
Role of the Working Group
• Bring and share early numeracy expertise and experience from working with various age-groups
• Network with other settings
• Input re. Theme/ Focus of Curriculum Priority Week
• Input re. Resources, Activities etc.
• Communicate info. to their staff team
• Involve wider community
Co-ordinate curriculum priority week & related events in school/setting e.g. awareness of existing resources to complement
c.p. wk activities
First card – Changes
A4 rather than A5
Different cards for different age groups
Emphasise conversations
Categorising Play p. 54
Space for recording experiences & thoughts
Signed
Indicative Evidence (Veerman and van Yperen 2007)
860 children (0-6 years) and their families take part each term
Children's numeracy skills have improved and they are scoring to, if not above in some cases, national norms in Maths.
‘The children really grasped the concept, reinforced at home and in school. Maths was great fun.’
ECCE practitioners are more skilled in supporting children's numeracy outcomes ( 99% N=457)
Quality of their practice had improved (99% N=458)
Parents are more involved in their children’s learning (88% N=136)
97% (N=149) of parents would recommend the numeracy week/activities to a friend.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Number Size & Comparison Shape Direction & Position Mental Maths Maths Skills Overall Score
Ave
rage
% S
core
NEYAI Numeracy Assessments' Results 2013-14
Pre-school Year (3-4 years)
Nov-13
May-14
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Number Measures Shape Maths Skills Mental Maths Total Std
Standard Scores For NEYAI Vs Non NEYAI Centres
Summary Number Measures Shape
Maths
Skills
Mental
Maths Total Std
NEYAI Centres 67% 79% 84% 83% 20% 73%
Non NEYAI Centres 86% 82% 90% 85% 40% 84%
Delta 19% 3% 6% 2% 20% 11%
Impact on children (N=445) Impact on parents (N=309)
Improved understanding of numeracy concepts (60% N=265)
Enjoyed numeracy activities (31% N=140)
Parents more involved (9% N=40)
Increased Involvement (47% N=146)
Awareness & learning (28% N=88)
Enjoyed activities (24% N=75)
The children took a huge interest in measuring, weighing, they started seeing everything in the room as something to potentially measure or weigh. They also started using the terminology
I felt the games we played in class and putting actions to rhymes worked very well. The children really grasped the idea of positional language as they could see it and understand rather than it being an abstract concept
The theme of money was easy for the children to relate to and they could experience it at first hand. We conducted the money value exercise for all children in the class. We took them to the stores and taught them how to use money
Children enjoyed the rhymes and they love hearing new counting rhymes. It has had a strong impact on the children because parents have said that the older children are currently trying to learn the counting rhymes, both at home and out and about.
Celebration Event
Implementing NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Project
St Andrew’s Child Care Service
Implementing NEYAI Docklands Early Numeracy Project
Holy Child Preschool
Conclusions/ Recommendations
• Process of community action research provides evidence of effective implementation as well as enabling continuous improvement
• Aistear works as a curriculum framework for planning, implementation & evaluation
• Genuine community involvement in decision process is crucial (through Working Group and Consortium Meetings).
• Multiple methods for parents to engage with (workshops, home based activity cards, Facebook and Curriculum Priority events in ECCE Services, Schools, through PHNs, Home Visitors, After Schools and Libraries)
• Community wide focus on numeracy fosters multi-sectoral working, involvement of parents, curriculum planning and better numeracy outcomes for children.
Future Challenges
• NEYAI Programme has ended so transferring into the Area Based Childhood Programme
• Consortium and working group larger
• New services coming on board
• Reviewing & improving the programme
• Involving parents
• Being prepared
• Time for communication (staff & parents)
• Handling on-going challenges: evaluations; changes in personnel & in the sector; bereavements; flooding; illness etc.