Making Numbers Real - Why Do Learners Find Maths So Difficult? by:Emma Haydon

Numbers are all around us, we see them everywhere and they are just part of our lives

. Numbers can represent many different things to us as adults, but what do numbers mean to a young child? Do they actually mean anything at all, or are they just numbers?

Numbers do not actually exist anywhere but people talk as if they do because they have become such familiar objects for most. Adults and parents who are talking to children talk about numbers as if they exist and you can say 'look there is one on that bus' but actually all you will see on a bus is a numeral, you don't actually see a number itself. This is very confusing for children and it's confusing as they meet this kind of thing very early on.

Numicon patterns are arrangements of holes in plastic shapes that correspond to the numbers 1 to 10. The pattern of the holes for each number follows the same basic system of arranging holes 'in pairs'. The thing about Numicon is not only does it makes numbers real for children, in terms of they can touch them and see them, it also makes the number relationships real for them because when Numicon patterns are arranged in order, pupils begin to very clearly notice important connections between numbers for instance that each number is one more than the last and one fewer than the next, odd and even numbers and place value. Numicon's multi-sensory maths approach focusing on oral and mental work inspires children to think mathematically.

The pattern and the relationship between numbers is a really powerful way of getting children to understand about number. It supports their understanding of place value and also how numbers fit together and their relationship on a number line, all through pattern.

Children enjoy working with Numicon as it plays to their strong sense of pattern. Numicon helps children see how numbers work giving them the confidence to persevere. With this growing confidence comes deeper understanding and higher levels of achievement.

Working with Numicon encourages children to reason, to think logically and systematically as they apply their understanding in many ways. Because children show their understanding in what they do with the shapes, Numicon helps teachers 'see' their pupil's thinking.

Numicon can be used across the ability range and is a resource for all children's maths. Its use is not just restricted to young children working with number ideas, there are a lot of problem solving activities you could give children of any ability including the gifted and talented that will challenge them to think very hard mathematically about what we are asking them to do. Numicon illustrates addition and subtraction, place value, doubling and halving, estimation, division, multiplication and much more. Pupils actively enjoy using Numicon, either independently or in groups. Aimed at teaching numeracy to Early Years, Key Stage 1, for maths intervention and as a SEN resource. As teachers begin to work with the materials they quickly find further ways of using Numicon maths resources; percentages, fractions and decimals are all easily illustrated using the shapes.

Because the Numicon shapes can make numbers real for children in the sense that they can see them and touch them, it gives them a tremendous confidence in what they are doing.

About the author

Numicon provides multi-sensory maths resources.

The Williams Maths Review panel on describing Numicon and multi-sensory resources in general, found that:

"it would be regrettable if such clear enhancements to the learning process for those struggling with mathematics were not readily available in all schools"

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