Maths program making a big difference for disadvantaged children
18 March 2015
Let’s Count, an innovative early numeracy program, is helping three to five year olds in disadvantaged communities improve their mathematical skills and confidence, setting them up for success in an area critical to their future and Australia’s economic wellbeing.
The results of a three-year evaluation released today by The Smith Family - Strengthening early numeracy learning: The Let’s Count program - shows its program has significantly boosted the mathematical skills of children who participated. It also showed that parents and early childhood educators who participated were more able and confident to support the mathematical learning of their children.
Through the generous financial support of $1.6 million from the Origin Foundation, the program has reached 8,500 children, 4,500 parents and more than 300 educators across 17 Australian communities.
Let’s Count gives young children early exposure to mathematics, including counting, measurement, patterns and spatial awareness. The program includes training, support and learning resources for families and early childhood educators.
The Smith Family’s Head of Research and Advocacy, Anne Hampshire said: “The results clearly show how we can improve disadvantaged children’s mathematical skills and confidence and help set them up for success at school.
“We know that childhood maths skills predict later maths achievement – children who start ahead generally stay ahead. So if we can get disadvantaged children off to a great start with their mathematics, we’re setting them up for future success,” Ms Hampshire said.
“Numeracy is a critical skill for everyday activities like budgeting, taking medication and cooking. It’s also a key skill for employment, and mathematics is essential for the future of innovative economies.
“Having proven the effectiveness of Let’s Count, there is now great scope to expand the program to support many more children across Australia.
“We encourage governments, educators, philanthropy and corporates to embrace the potential of this program for the benefit of all young children and the long-term future of Australia.”
Key findings of the Let’s Count evaluation include:
Head of the Origin Foundation, Sean Barrett, said: “The Origin Foundation partnered with The Smith Family by committing $1.6 million to ensure the evaluation of Let’s Count and its expansion to benefit even more Australian children. This is because we know education transforms lives and improves communities.”
Ms Hampshire said Australia had a serious numeracy challenge, particularly among disadvantaged children and young people, with significant numbers not having the mathematical skills needed for effective economic and social participation.
In the first year of school, one in four children from Australia’s most disadvantaged communities are behind in their development in the key area of language and cognitive skills. This includes numeracy.
One in 10 disadvantaged Australian students in Year 5 fail to meet the minimum standard for numeracy, compared with one in 100 of their more advantaged peers.
“Numeracy is about more than just understanding numbers. It’s a foundation skill for effective and successful participation in our society and economy,” said Ms Hampshire.
“By letting so many children – the majority from disadvantaged backgrounds – grow up with poor numeracy skills, we’re undermining the future health of our communities, economy and broader society.”
“As Australia looks to address this challenge and boost its STEM capacity (science, technology, engineering and maths), we need to examine the potential of Let’s Count and support its expansion to more locations, particularly in our disadvantaged communities.”
The Let’s Count program was developed by The Smith Family with Professor Bob Perry (Charles Sturt University) and Associate Professor Ann Gervasoni (Monash University). Its significant expansion and comprehensive evaluation was made possible through the financial support of the Origin Foundation.
The results of a three-year evaluation released today by The Smith Family - Strengthening early numeracy learning: The Let’s Count program - shows its program has significantly boosted the mathematical skills of children who participated. It also showed that parents and early childhood educators who participated were more able and confident to support the mathematical learning of their children.
Through the generous financial support of $1.6 million from the Origin Foundation, the program has reached 8,500 children, 4,500 parents and more than 300 educators across 17 Australian communities.
Let’s Count gives young children early exposure to mathematics, including counting, measurement, patterns and spatial awareness. The program includes training, support and learning resources for families and early childhood educators.
The Smith Family’s Head of Research and Advocacy, Anne Hampshire said: “The results clearly show how we can improve disadvantaged children’s mathematical skills and confidence and help set them up for success at school.
“We know that childhood maths skills predict later maths achievement – children who start ahead generally stay ahead. So if we can get disadvantaged children off to a great start with their mathematics, we’re setting them up for future success,” Ms Hampshire said.
“Numeracy is a critical skill for everyday activities like budgeting, taking medication and cooking. It’s also a key skill for employment, and mathematics is essential for the future of innovative economies.
“Having proven the effectiveness of Let’s Count, there is now great scope to expand the program to support many more children across Australia.
“We encourage governments, educators, philanthropy and corporates to embrace the potential of this program for the benefit of all young children and the long-term future of Australia.”
Key findings of the Let’s Count evaluation include:
- Just over half (54%) of children who participated were able to count to 20 by the end of the program compared to 37% of children of the same age who weren’t involved in Let’s Count.
- Two-thirds (66%) of the children could order three one-digit numbers, compared to less than half (47%) of the children who did not participate.
- Three in five (61%) children could divide 12 teddies between four mats, compared to only three in 10 (31%) of the children who weren’t involved in Let’s Count.
Head of the Origin Foundation, Sean Barrett, said: “The Origin Foundation partnered with The Smith Family by committing $1.6 million to ensure the evaluation of Let’s Count and its expansion to benefit even more Australian children. This is because we know education transforms lives and improves communities.”
Ms Hampshire said Australia had a serious numeracy challenge, particularly among disadvantaged children and young people, with significant numbers not having the mathematical skills needed for effective economic and social participation.
In the first year of school, one in four children from Australia’s most disadvantaged communities are behind in their development in the key area of language and cognitive skills. This includes numeracy.
One in 10 disadvantaged Australian students in Year 5 fail to meet the minimum standard for numeracy, compared with one in 100 of their more advantaged peers.
“Numeracy is about more than just understanding numbers. It’s a foundation skill for effective and successful participation in our society and economy,” said Ms Hampshire.
“By letting so many children – the majority from disadvantaged backgrounds – grow up with poor numeracy skills, we’re undermining the future health of our communities, economy and broader society.”
“As Australia looks to address this challenge and boost its STEM capacity (science, technology, engineering and maths), we need to examine the potential of Let’s Count and support its expansion to more locations, particularly in our disadvantaged communities.”
The Let’s Count program was developed by The Smith Family with Professor Bob Perry (Charles Sturt University) and Associate Professor Ann Gervasoni (Monash University). Its significant expansion and comprehensive evaluation was made possible through the financial support of the Origin Foundation.