Categories: Teaching Resources

“My children are not ‘getting’ Maths for some reason!

I want to do better for them this year. I tried all the programmes out there, but they are just a re-hash of the same thing. They didn’t work as I expected. The poor kids feel crushed and totally turned off maths. Some of them are quite bright too.”

NUMICON is the answer – for all your students – for intervention, general classroom, gifted and SEN!

Numicon is a distinctive multi-sensory approach where children engage in talking, doing, exploring relationships and generalising with mathematical ideas in a structured, sequential and active learning environment. Meaningful tasks are designed to help children make connections with link across the curriculum into science, social studies, music and literacy.

Numicon was founded in the daily experience of intelligent children having real difficulty with maths, the frequent underestimation of the complexity of the ideas that young children are asked to face when doing maths and the recognition of the importance of maths to them and society.

Numicon aims to facilitate children’s understanding and enjoyment of maths by using structured imagery that plays to children’s strong sense of pattern. This is done through research-based, multi-sensory teaching activities.

Numicon takes into account the complexity of abstract number ideas and seeks to foster the self-belief necessary to achieve in the face of challenge or difficulty.

Through the combination of communicating mathematically (being active, talking and illustrating), exploring relationships and generalising, children are given the support to structure their experiences: a vital skill for both their mathematical and their overall development.

A multi-sensory approach, particularly one that makes use of structured imagery, provides learners with the opportunity to play to their strengths, thereby releasing their potential to enjoy, understand and achieve in maths. By watching and listening to what children do and say, this enjoyment in achievement, is also shared by teachers and parents.

New Zealand children complete Numicon 1 in their first year, the equivalent to Stage 4 NPD. Children complete Numicon 4 in their fourth year and are on their way beginning Stage 7. There are increasing numbers of very happy schools, parents and children, experiencing the excitement of what this success is leading them to.

Numicon strives to support teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogy by providing rich and appealing teaching materials. Professional Development and on-going support that will help develop a better understanding of how to encourage all learners in the vital early stages of their mathematical journey.

Richard McGill

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