Over the past 20 years, research on the role of mathematical proficiency in academic and economic success has proliferated. Understanding how mathematical development and learning can be fostered in both in- and out-of-school settings is key to ensuring widespread numerical literacy. Much of what is known about how children develop mathematical…

The author of this article reflects on the issues of justice, democracy, and numeracy. As one who has taught statistics in a community college for over 12 years, spent 28 years as a Marketing Consultant, and holds a PhD in political science, the author's thesis is that while an advanced, democratic society can only be just with a numerate…

Incited by the National Assessment of Educational Progress' 2009 Reading Framework and the Common Core State Standards, recent shifts in national education goals have urged English language arts teachers to make curriculum adjustments. One such adjustment is to shift their focus from fiction, which has traditionally dominated the curriculum, to…

This paper uses the 2014 PIAAC prison data to study whether numeracy and literacy skills along with inmate educational and vocational training have an impact on social outcomes. Specifically, the authors address the following questions: (1) How do literacy, numeracy, formal education, and vocational training affect prison inmates' social outcomes…

This study examined the structure of the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment (Best Start) of literacy and numeracy, with the aim of confirming a two-factor measure of attainment at school entry comparable in structure to standardised measures of literacy and numeracy administered in later school years. Administrative data from the 2009 Best Start…

A strong foundation in early number concepts is critical for students' future success in mathematics. Research suggests that visual representations, like a number line, support students' development of number sense by helping them create a mental representation of the order and magnitude of numbers. In addition, explicitly sequencing instruction…

Previous research suggests that as societies empower women educationally, gender differences in numeracy skills will decline. Using direct measures of 56,142 adults' numeracy skills from the Programme for International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this article studies whether this claim is evidenced across 20 Organisation for…

Ordinality is a fundamental feature of numbers and recent studies have highlighted the role that number ordering abilities play in mathematical development (e.g., Lyons et al. 2014), as well as mature mathematical performance (e.g., Lyons & Beilock, 2011). The current study tested the novel hypothesis that non-numerical ordering ability, as…

Building a strong foundation in the early numeracy gateway skills in pre-k and kindergarten has strong implications for future success in mathematics. Currently, very few research-based early numeracy interventions are available for students prior to first grade. Furthermore, the majority of current early numeracy interventions are administered…

Utah SB 196 from the 2015 General Session challenged the State Board of Regents with increasing the number of students who complete their General Education Quantitative Literacy (QL) requirement senior year of high school. One thing needed to meet this goal: more Concurrent Enrollment Mathematics instructors. Utah System of Higher Education (USHE)…

Recent public discussions have suggested that the under-representation of women in science and mathematics careers can be traced back to intrinsic differences in aptitude. However, true gender differences are difficult to assess because sociocultural influences enter at an early point in childhood. If these claims of intrinsic differences are…

The rapid changes in our society have amplified the need for adult learning opportunities. However, adults often make decisions not to persist in formal learning experiences in a smooth, linear fashion. The decision to pause or terminate formal learning is a complex behavioral decision that includes knowledge, the cognitive process, personal…

In 2009, The Common Core Standards shifted the English language arts focus from narrative to expository text, arguing that most texts read in college and workforce training programs are informational. By the time students are in twelfth grade, they are expected to read informational text 70% of the time. This can be challenging for English…

While many U.S. adult education programs and policies (including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)) focus on low literacy skill as a barrier to employment, this study recognizes the role of increasing numeracy skill as critical in reducing the probability of unemployment. This study used a series of regression analyses to examine…

Children's own spontaneous mathematical activities are crucial for their mathematical development. Mathematical thinking and learning does not only occur in explicitly mathematical situations, such as the classroom. Those children with higher tendencies to recognize and use mathematical aspects of their everyday surroundings, both within the…