The role of temperament was explored as a predictor of preschoolers' literacy and numeracy skills. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that temperament contributed uniquely to the explanation of literacy and numeracy skills over and above well-established indicators of a child's academic achievement such as parent education, gender, and…

In this article we describe gender gaps in mathematics achievement and attitude as measured by the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) from 1990 to 2003. Analyzing relationships among achievement and mathematical content, student proficiency and percentile levels, race, and socioeconomic status (SES), we found that gender gaps…

Nationally approved adult numeracy teacher training programmes were started in September 2002 following the introduction of subject specifications by the Department for Education and Skills and the Further National Training Organisation in England. These programmes delivered by higher education institutions and further education colleges were…

Using data from a larger 4-year evaluation of England's National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, this study tested the effects of a school-specific model of transformational leadership on teachers (motivation, capacities, and work settings), their classroom practices, and gains in student achievement. Some 2,290 teachers from 655 primary schools…

The present study compared the relative effects of 2 educational programs on kindergarten children. The experimental group took part in a numeracy-specific program, which focused on conceptual knowledge. Children were taught basic numerical skills such as understanding and handling numbers and their relations as well as counting principles. The…

Widening participation initiatives have had a noticeable effect on universities: student support services, especially at the post 1992 universities, are at a level undreamed of in the past. This has opened up the benefits of a university education to students previously excluded by social class, disability or ethnic group. One aspect of key…

This study is aimed at the mechanisms used by students with an intellectual disability in the counting process. The assessment of the counting process is carried out through experimental tests inspired by the basic principles of Gelman and Gallistel, namely one-to-one, stable order, cardinality, abstraction and order irrelevance. This is a…

Negative numbers extend our number line and greatly simplify our calculations, but sometimes students struggle with the concepts. These fun activities will help kids to make sense of the "other half" of our number system.

Good early mathematics is broader and deeper than early practice on "school skills." High-quality mathematics should be a joy--not a pressure. It can emerge from children's play, their curiosity, and their natural ability to think. This article describes the areas of mathematics that young children can learn, and encourages elementary teachers to…

This paper describes a project with the goal of exposing both elementary school and undergraduate students to the concepts associated with the experimental method, from the formulation of a researchable question to the analysis and interpretation of the results. Under the guidance of their university mentors, fourth and fifth grade students…

This paper outlines the practical aspects of a project aimed to offer access to numerate knowledge for preschool children by providing them with take-home numeracy kits. A Koori preschool in an urban regional area of New South Wales, Australia, was involved in the project. The centre catered for 18 four- and five-year-old children. The two main…

It has been estimated that as many as one in five adults in England have difficulties with literacy or numeracy skills. Raising the standards of language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) skills amongst all adults of working age in England has become one of the government's highest priorities. Following the launch of the "Skills for Life"…

This paper summarises findings and lessons from a recently conducted evaluation of an adult functional literacy program in Ghana. The study attempted to assess learners' literacy and numeracy skills, and ascertain participants' knowledge and skills in various development aspects as well as their impact. The literacy and numeracy skills assessment…

Nursery education, particularly in terms of mathematics, has come a long way in a short time. But what principles or knowledge can now be used to decide what is or is not good practice? It therefore seems timely to look at theory and research concerning teaching mathematics to young children, to try and establish some principles and guidance as to…

The "Researching numeracy" project aimed to identify effective classroom teaching approaches in mathematics for students in the early years (Prep-Year 4) and the middle years (Years 5 and 6) in a range of Victorian schools. The action research component of the project involved the research team working with teachers from sixteen research…