The author advocates for writing as an essential communication skill for learning mathematics. Mathematical diary writing is cited as a good way for students to privately represent their thinking through pictures, language, or symbols, and also as a channel for children to communicate with themselves and with their teachers. Cited research…

Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, this analysis tested whether changes during middle and high school in mathematics-related cognitive and affective factors influence participation in the most advanced mathematics course work, with control over confounding factors associated with student background. No significant…

California and the rest of the United Sates are undergoing significant challenges in providing educational opportunities for an increasingly diverse population. These challenges include inadequate literacy and numeracy skills among large segments of the student and adult populations; an ongoing shift in the demographic profile of the population,…

Numeracy develops and evolves through experiences that require students to creatively and flexibly use mathematics to solve complex problems that often involve competing constraints. Making room in the curriculum for these types of experiences is a challenge in secondary schools because of the pressures of a tightly packed mathematics curriculum;…

A project investigated the extent to which the current adult basic education (ABE) provision was meeting the needs of participants in Northern Ireland. Interviews were conducted with key individuals from 22 agencies providing adult literacy and numeracy support, selected tutors and managers of ABE (n=62), and 55 ABE students. Students had a…

This kit is designed to develop the adult numeracy skills of literacy and mathematics trained teachers in Australia using a participatory workshop approach. The kit is divided into five chapters. Each chapter contains theoretical and background information, a sequence of structured activities in which participating teachers actively engage, and…

This guide discusses possibilities for implementing a mathematically powerful program in the classroom. The chapters highlight such issues as a constructivist perspective on learning, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics goals and curriculum standards, the classroom climate, integrated learning, and alternative assessment procedures.…

This manual is designed for use in a four-session workshop to help new parking garage employees enhance their skills in the following areas: understanding the functions of parking employees, computing parking rates and filling out parking lot reconciliation forms, preparing miscellaneous parking lot forms and developing effective communication and…

An international numeracy scale compared how well adults in seven countries--the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Australia, and Denmark--handled some basic tasks involving numbers. The questionnaire comprised a set of 12 numeracy tasks that respondents were asked to complete using pen and paper. Within each country, the…

This curriculum guide, developed by an adult basic education program for disadvantaged women, provides methods for teaching mathematical concepts and operations including whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents. The curriculum illustrates methods and activities that bridge the gap between numerals (the symbols of mathematical…

The six articles in this issue tackle topics that relate to the role and function of numeracy in adult life. "Reading Comprehension in Written Mathematics Problems" (Sue Wareham) examines the levels of reading ability required of numeracy students and offers strategies to help students with limited reading skills. "Can Ordinary…

The National Adult LIteracy Survey was a nationwide survey of a random sample of approximately 26,000 adults. The survey collected information about individuals' social, economic, and educational histories and their literacy activities. Their functional literacy was also assessed using simulated functional or real-world tasks designed to determine…

The development of strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills for all students is a very high priority for schools, education systems and governments. The ways in which children develop these skills during the crucial years of primary education are of major interest to all concerned with students' learning and development. The ACER…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of forum discussion embedded within metacognitive guidance on mathematical literacy. In particular the study compares two learning environments: (a) Forum discussion with metacognitive guidance (FORUM+META); and (b) Forum discussion without metacognitive guidance (FORUM). Participants…

In most Australian schools, there are significant numbers of students who are failing to learn effectively. They underachieve in all or some of the basic skill areas of the curriculum. Concerns regarding the most appropriate methods with which to address the needs of these students remain widespread amongst teachers. This publication examines the…