Building Strong Numeracy Skills in your Child
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Shows the progression of students numeracy
skills from Kindergarten to Stage 3.
By the time students reach Stage 3 they
should know and use most of the strategies
on the continuum.
If a student doesn’t know a strategy they can
not move on to the next stage of
development.
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Teachers plot students on the continuum
using a variety of assessments.
This shows teachers where students are up to
and what strategies they need to work on to
reach the next level of development.
Teachers then plan their class lessons around
the needs of the students in their class.
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The range of mental strategies students use
for addition and subtraction.
Emergent Counting
Perceptual Counting
Figurative Counting
Counting On
Facile
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Emergent Counting
 Beginning of Early Stage 1
 Cannot count visible items
 Does not know number words
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Perceptual Counting
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End of Early Stage 1
Counts items using concrete materials
Counts visible items to find the total
Objects remain in view while counting
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Figurative Counting
 Visualises concealed items and counts from 1.
 May use fingers if concealed items are greater than 10.
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Counting On and Back
 A number takes place of a completed count e.g. 6 + 5 ;
6 and 7,8,9,10,11.
 Fingers may be used when counting on.
 When students reach the counting on and back phase they can
now begin to work on and understand place value.
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Facile Strategies
 Uses known facts, number structure and other non counting by
ones strategies to solve number problems.
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Doubles and near doubles
 E.g. 5 + 7; double 5 and add 2
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Bridging to 10
 E.g. 17 + 5; 17 and 3 is 20 and 2 more = 22
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Jump strategy
 E.g. 46 + 33
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Split Strategy
 E.g. 46 + 33
= 40 + 6 + 30 + 3
= 40 + 30 + 6 + 3
= 70 + 9
=79
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At this stage the students are only beginning
to use these strategies to mentally work the
sums out. Students may rely on recording
these strategies to find the answer.
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Mental Strategies:
Jump Strategy
Split Strategy
Compensation Strategy
 63 + 29; 63 + 30 = 93; subtract 1 to obtain 92
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Bridging the decade
 34 + 17; 34 + 10 is 44; 44 + 7 = 51
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Using patterns to extend number facts
 5 – 2 = 3; so 500 – 200 = 300
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Using formal and written algorithms for two,
three and four digit numbers.
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By the beginning of Stage 3 students will have
learnt all the necessary strategies needed to
have strong numeracy skills in addition and
subtraction.
Stage 3 is about giving students the
opportunity to reinforce and practise these
known numeracy skills.
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Websites:
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Gloucester Public School Website
 http://www.gloucesterp.schools.nsw.edu.au/years/year-1/help-your-childlearn
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School A to Z Website
 http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homework-andstudy/mathematics/mathematics-tips
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Ask questions!
Talk about maths in short bursts.
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Early Stage 1
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 Get your child to count everything – the number of
plates on the table, how many pegs are needed to
hang up the washing, the number of apples to buy at
the supermarket etc.
 Play games with dice – start with dot die.
 Look for numbers in the environment.
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Stage 1
 Play games with cards such as 21.
 Play dice games using number die.
 Start asking your child to think about ways to count
faster e.g. counting on, counting by 2’s, counting by
5’s.
 Ask addition and subtraction questions e.g. Set the
table for one person and ask your child to put out
enough plates for everyone. Ask them how many more
were needed.
 Ask your child to help you work out how many more
items are needed when you are shopping. "I have six
apples here, how many more will I get to make 10?"
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Stage 2 and 3
 Play games with dice and cards.
 Keep on asking questions to do with your child’s
environment. At this stage start asking them how they
got the answer when they are using mental strategies.
 Shopping in the supermarket is a great place to ask
your child questions about mathematics, there are
numbers everywhere!
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A hands on workshop to be held at the
beginning of next term.
We will show you games and activities to use
at home.
Count Me In, Count Me In Too and Counting
On activities.
DENS 1and DENS 2 activities – developing
efficient numeracy strategies.