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An ability to
understand numeracy, like literacy, is an important skill for children to
participate successfully in school.
Numeracy also equips
children for life beyond school, helping them in further study or
training, personal pursuits and participation in the workforce and the
wider community.
The prevalence of
difficulties in numeracy or mathematics alone (when not found with other
learning difficulties) is estimated at approximately one in every five
cases of learning difficulties.
Although symptoms of
difficulties in mathematics may appear as early as the first two years of
school, numeracy problems are seldom diagnosed before the end of the
second year or during the third year because sufficient formal
mathematics instruction has usually not occurred until then in most
schools.
Unfortunately
research has found that there are significantly fewer courses to help
children with numeracy problems than those struggling with literacy.
Building on the
successful model used in Reading
for Life, Counting for Life was created in 2006, with the financial
support of Genworth Financial.
Counting for Life is a volunteer community reading program to help
children having difficulty with numeracy at primary school.
Volunteers from
businesses or the community become number buddies to selected children in
Years 2 to 4 and visit them at their school to help enhance
children’s number skills, self-esteem and motivation. Each
volunteer works with a child one-to-one for 45 minutes every week for
between 10 and 15 weeks.
The children who have
participated in the program had some wonderful feedback including,
“It helps you to be so smart”; I’m not getting confused
anymore and I know some more answers” and “When I see her
every Thursday and she sees me she does maths and it helps me in my
homework and stuff like that and it’s fun”.
In 2009, with the generous
support of Citi Australia,
Learning Links will trial Counting for Life Online. 75 children in Sydney
and Melbourne will be paired with Citi employees to complete Counting for
Life via the internet and webcam.
For more information
on Counting for Life contact Learning Links’ Head Office on (02) 8568
8200 or the Manager, Reading and Counting for Life (02) 8568 8251.
 
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