Numicon Workshop

Numicon Workshop 

Making Maths Real

When: 2 May 2019
Where: Hornby Primary School
Presenter: Margi Leech

What is Numicon?
Numicon is a multi-sensory approach to children's mathematical learning that emphasises three key aspects of doing mathematics:

• communicating mathematically
• exploring relationships
• solving problems in everyday life experiences (generalising)

Numicon follows the principles of learning described by Bruner where children learn best with three presentations used together to create meaning and conceptual understanding. 

Children find it hard to conceptualise numbers because numbers don't really exist. However, using shapes help children explore and build their mathematical understanding which takes a multi-sensory approach focusing on aural and mental work.

It also makes numbers real for the children in the sense that they can touch them and see them. It also makes the number relationship real for them because they can see very clearly how each number is one bigger than the previous one by the pattern. The pattern and the relationship between numbers is a really powerful way of getting children to understand about the number. It supports the children with their understanding of place value and also how numbers fit together, then the relationship between numbers on a number line all through the pattern.

Numicon isn't just restricted to young children working with number ideas. There are lots of problem-solving activities.

Learning Maths using the Numicon:

• Any groups of objects can be arranged into a pattern that can be 'read'
• A group then does not have to be counted
• The concept of 'number' or 'how many' is built
• Ready to explore relationships with groups
• Mathematical thinking and communication develops
• Components or units in groups make up the whole
• The 'whole idea' think is generalising
• Generalisations about anything!
• Numeral symbols have meaning - +&-, =, times & division, $ & %
• A collaborative approach to problem-solving by explaining, justifying, reasoning and learning together. 

Planning and assessment of Numicon are linked to NZ curriculum and also JAM, IKAN and GloSS assessments can be carried out.

Free resources including videos are available from Numicon NZ as well as its Internation websites. Their International website sits under the 'Oxford Owl' which is a subsidiary of Oxford University Press. Please note that you will need to register yourself first(free) to gain access to Numicon International.

Numicon immediately drew my attention as it's visual and kinesthetic, children learn Maths by 'doing', subsequently building a concrete number concept.  I understand the hard part of Maths learning for children is that the concept of number is abstract, but yet we ask children to think and communicate with abstract concepts. By manipulating the shapes, children can access number knowledge, the relationships of number and all strands of maths easily.  I am looking forward to using Numicon to teach Maths to our children.