NUMICON, OUR APPROACH TO NUMERACY

Have you ever stopped to think about what numeracy truly means? How it represents abstract concepts and ideas, and how we can make these concepts tangible for our children? At Orchard Early Learning Centre (ELC), we have found the answer in Numicon, a multi-sensory mathematics teaching resource from Oxford University Press.

As the Pedagogy and Practice Manager at Orchard ELC, I have seen firsthand the transformative impact of incorporating Numicon into our curriculum. This powerful tool has not only enriched our school readiness programme but also made learning a fun and engaging experience for our children.

What is Numicon?

Numicon is a multi-sensory mathematics teaching resource designed to help children understand numeracy, which means your child learns by seeing and feeling. It uses physical shapes and tools to represent numbers, allowing children to visualise the relationship and value of numbers. Each Numicon shape represents a specific number, and having numbers represented as physical shapes provides a tactile and intuitive way of learning.

Why Numicon?

Numicon is designed to develop a sound understanding of numeracy, and the relationship between numbers, digits, and place value using structured apparatus. It helps children reason mathematically using concrete objects and spoken language. The visual nature of shapes and numbers together helps children grasp counting and patterns quickly.

Numicon at Orchard ELC

At Orchard ELC, we have integrated Numicon into our unique curriculum for many years.Numicon is a perfect tool that fits our dedicated school readiness program as we aim to develop a 21st century child. We use Numicon to support the Early Year Learning Framework and early mathematic teaching through concepts such as representing numbers, counting, pattern, number ordering, number matching to quantity, early calculation, doubling, one more & one less, and shape arrangements.

Featured on Evidence for Learning (E4L), our Numicon video highlight our commitment and success to this effective teaching approach. By incorporating Numicon into our curriculum, we are equipping our children with a strong mathematical foundation, preparing them for a life of learning and wellbeing.

If you are intrigued by the power of Numicon and want to learn more about how it can benefit your child’s learning journey, we invite you to join us at Orchard ELC. Let us explore the world of numeracy together!