Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents and carers who attended our Parent Engagement Workshop back in Week 4 of this term,

‘Understanding your Child’s Numeracy Development’ in Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2. It was fantastic to see so many parents engaged and eager to support their child’s mathematical journey. 

I thought that sharing some of the main points covered in our workshop with our extended community may help some parents better understand and be able to support their children who may need consolidation of these foundational mathematical concepts and skills.

Just to recap, here are the workshop highlights we covered and discussed:

Understanding Numeracy Development

We explored how children develop numeracy skills from Kindergarten through to Year 2, with reference to the NESA Syllabus outcomes and discussed the key milestones for each year level and how these align with NESA’s expectations. These milestones are crucial stepping stones as students progress through their early years of mathematical learning.

We emphasised the Concrete, Symbolic, Abstract (CSA) approach, based on Jerome Bruner’s theory of cognitive development, where students: 

• Concrete: use tangible objects to understand mathematical concepts.
• Symbolic: use symbols and drawings to represent these concepts.
• Abstract: move towards abstract thinking - when the concept is well understood only then do we use abstract, symbolic notation,where they solve problems without needing concrete materials

We explained that at each stage, students build on their knowledge and deepen their understanding, ensuring a solid foundation in numeracy. Importantly, this process is not strictly linear; students may revisit earlier stages as they encounter new challenges or concepts, reinforcing and expanding their understanding over time.

Key Concepts and Skills in Number

We provided an overview of the key concepts and skills taught in each year level, mapped to NESA Syllabus outcomes:

• Kindergarten: Focusing on early number sense, including counting, numeral recognition, and simple addition and subtraction.
• Year 1: Expanding on place value understanding, developing addition and subtraction strategies, and introducing number patterns. 
  
• Year 2: Strengthening place value, exploring more complex addition and subtraction, introducing multiplication and division (symbolic), and problem-solving in a variety of contexts.

Throughout the workshop we highlighted how these skills progress according to the Concrete, Symbolic, Abstract (CSA) approach, with each milestone preparing students for the next level of cognitive development.

Practical Activities and Ways you can Support your Child at Home

Understanding how your child develops maths skills can empower you to better support their learning at home. We discussed some simple ways to help them along the way:

• Refer to your child’s learning goals in their report and/or provided by their classroom teacher 
  
• Focus on developing automaticity and mastery with number rather than wanting them to learn more e.g. fluent counting in Kindergarten, knowing double facts in Year 1, fluent skip counting in Year 2
• Counting objects during daily routines (e.g., setting the table, grocery shopping).
• Playing number-based games like card games or board games.
• Using maths in real-life contexts such as cooking (measuring ingredients) or budgeting pocket money.
• Encouraging children to explain their thinking when solving problems.

The Importance of Your Involvement

The overall benefit is your active participation in your child’s numeracy development. By understanding the curriculum, the foundational concepts and key milestones taught in these early years, you are not only better equipped to support your child’s learning but also strengthen the partnership between home and school. This collaboration between parents and teachers is key to ensuring our children receive the best possible education.

Thank you so much for joining our Parent Engagement Workshop and for your ongoing support. We appreciate your involvement in your child’s learning, and we’re excited to keep working together to make a positive difference in their education. 

Warm regards,

Nerissa McCartney

Leader of Teaching and Learning