A Community Wide Approach to Promoting Early Numeracy
Docklands Early Numeracy Project
Dr. Josephine Bleach and Catriona Flood
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
Programme Activities
•
•
•
•
•
Working Group meeting (start and end of each term- teachers and ECCE practitioners come
together and plan the programme, some ECCE Practitioners are also local parents)
Numeracy training for ECCE Practitioners- each term
Numeracy talks for Parents- each term
Early Numeracy Activity Week (Curriculum Priorities)- each term
– Numeracy based activities in ECCE settings and infant classes in schools
– Home based early numeracy activities go home with all children in Docklands (0-6 years old)
Consortium meetings (start and end of year) for ECCE Managers and School Principals
Working
Group
Meeting
NEYAI
Síolta/Aistear
Workshops for
Practitioners
(CPD)
*(in each setting during Numeracy Week)
Numeracy
talks for
Parents
Curriculum
Priority
(Numeracy
Week)
Storytelling
Sessions
Curriculum
Priority
Events *
Positional Language November 2011- Parent
Symbols in the Environment May 2014- Parents
Shape and Space March 2012- ECCE Practitioners
Money February 2014-Teachers
Standard Scores For NEYAI Centres By
Category Post Vs Pre Test
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Pre Test
Post Test
Number. Measures
Shape
Maths
Skills
Mental
Maths
Total Std
The numeracy concepts of children in the Docklands have improved
Standard Scores For NEYAI Vs Non NEYAI Centres
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Number
Summary
Measures
Shape
Number
Maths Skills
Measures
Shape
Mental Maths
Maths Skills
Total Std
Mental Maths
Total Std
NEYAI Centres (6 months younger)
67%
79%
84%
83%
20%
73%
Non NEYAI Centres
86%
82%
90%
85%
40%
84%
Delta
19%
3%
6%
2%
20%
11%
Numeracy concepts of children in the Docklands appear to be on a par with South Dublin
Successes
Challenges
Relationships with stakeholders- trust and
openness
Fine-tuning communication with ECCE
services
Home and Setting element working well
Time- meetings, planning and adaptation
Working Group- Attendance, enthusiasm
& creativity of Practitioners at ground
level- ECCE & Primary
Collecting feedback from parents- facing
these challenges by- feedback, flexibility,
leading to improvement, strength
Working group nominee and Consortium
support
No final answers – answers transform
into new questions (Mc Niff 2010)
Awareness of Early Numeracy concepts
raised
Adapting to the demands of the external
evaluation
Conclusions/ Recommendations
• Continuous process of community action research.
• Genuine community involvement in decision process is crucial
(through Working Group and Consortium Meetings).
• Multiple methods for parents to engage with (workshops,
activity cards, and Curriculum Priority events in schools and
ECCE Settings).
• Community wide focus on numeracy fosters multi-sectoral
working, involvement of parents, curriculum planning and better
numeracy outcomes for children.
Contact Details:
Dr. Josephine Bleach
Director
Josephine.bleach@ncirl.ie
4498639
Catriona Flood
Project Coordinator
Catriona.flood@ncirl.ie
4498544