Cross-curricular numeracy

A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns… The mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s or the poet’s must be beautiful; the ideas like the colours or the words, must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test.

- GH Hardy (Didau, 2014). 

Concerns about standards in numeracy and mathematics have existed for many years, with almost 17 million adults in the UK having numeracy skills below those needed for the lowest grade at GCSE (SSAT, 2015). Numeracy is not the sole responsibility of math’s teachers and teachers in all subjects can play an active part in the development and the enhancement of a student’s numeracy skills including their ability to describe and explain their strategies and reasoning (The Castle Partnership Trust, 2018). As long as progress is being made there is no limitations to what subjects can be brought together for cross-curricular learning, especially mathematics (Shaw, 2018). Math involves so many different concepts that include so much more than just solving equations, students can seek the benefits of new techniques brought into the classroom from other subjects such as science and history to help them learn and understand different math concepts (Shaw, 2018). 

Adults are often open about the fact that math’s was never a strong subject for them at school which influences the younger generation to accept that not enjoying math’s is ok (no author, 2001). The reason that adults hold such a negative view is frequently related to subconscious insecurity in the subject as a result of poor learning experiences and a fear of giving an incorrect answer to a question which can be passed down from adults to their children and create a vicious circle of viewing mathematics as a negative subject (no author, 2001). It is important that all teachers come to an agreement to tackle the perception that being bad at math is socially acceptable in attempt to set an example to children that may already perceive math’s are ‘boring and irrelevant’ (Didau, 2014). 

Professor Graham Donaldson’s new curriculum is organized around the six areas of learning and experience rather than separate subjects, these are:

·      Expressive Arts

·      Health and Well-being

·      Humanities

·      Languages, Literacy and Communication

·      Mathematics and Numeracy

·      Science and Technology

Donaldson has no intention of arranging these into timetables subjects, instead he would like them all to be used to organise each child and young person’s learning (Dauncey, 2015). They will all translate into day to day activities for children to ensure that they are having fun whilst learning. In the ‘Mathematics and Numeracy’ sector, children are expected to develop a good, lasting understanding of mathematical concepts as well as holding the confidence to apply numeracy skills in day to day life (Dauncey, 2015). For example the development of financial skills and being able to apply them to a real world example, it will also concentrate on the discipline of mathematics, including the traditional components of arithmetic and statistics together with logic, providing a strong link with the skills necessary in science and technology (Dauncey, 2015). Donaldson supports the introduction of three “cross-curriculum responsibilities” which are literacy, numeracy and digital competence that all teachers across Wales will be expected to deliver, all teaching and learning will be driven to achieve the four curriculum purposes (Evans, 2015). 

“Mathematical literacy is an individual’s capacity to identify and understand the role that mathematics plays in the world, to make well-founded judgements and to use and engage with mathematics in ways that meet the needs of that individual’s life as a constructive, concerned and reflective citizen”. - PISA (The Castle Partnership Trust, 2018). 

During placement, I found that teachers who included cross-curricular numeracy in their lessons worked effectively and the children were not even aware that they were doing mathematics. For example, in math’s lessons some children would complain that the things they were learning they would never use in ‘real life’ situations, by linking math to other subjects gave them an opportunity to relate the things they were learning to the ‘real world’ and activities that they carried out daily with their parents such as paying for a weekly food shop at their local supermarket or weighing ingredients for a cake recipe. 

Teachers all over the world are introducing STEM (the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics) into the classroom, learning math’s curriculum is something that most students dread during school time however if it is introduced into other subjects like English, history and science then it may have long-lasting benefits (Shaw, 2018). Some teachers may avoid including elements of mathematics in their subjects, resulting in lost opportunities to demonstrate the necessity of mathematics (No author, 2001). A few examples of how teachers have perpetrated mathematics into the classroom was demonstrated by David Didau (2014) as follows: 

• English: count the number of lines in a poem
• Art: calculate the amount of paint needed to cover your canvas
• History: Multiply the number of King Henrys by the number of King Georges
• PE: time yourself running 100m, take your pulse, draw a graph

Mathematics introduces children to a wide variety of different concepts, skills and thinking strategies that will be vital to their success in adult life and to support their learning throughout education (Sage, no date). It benefits children in making sense of all the numbers, problems and shapes that they see in real life situations and offers them a way of handling data in an increasingly digital competent world (Sage, no date), by introducing math’s as a cross-curricular subject we are increasing each child’s chance of success in education and life greatly. 

“Numeracy is a proficiency, which involves confidence and competence with numbers and measures. It is more than an ability to do basic arithmetic requiring an understanding of the number system, a range of mathematical techniques and an inclination and ability to solve quantitative or spatial problems in a range of contexts. It demands an understanding of the ways in which data are gathered by counting and measuring, and presented in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables”. (National Numeracy Strategy) (The Castle Partnership Trust, 2018).

References 

Dauncey, D (2015) Donaldson Review: The ‘purposes’ and content of a Curriculum for Wales. Available at: https://seneddresearch.blog/2015/03/17/donaldson-review-the-purposes-and-content-of-a-curriculum-for-wales/ (accessed: 2^ndMay, 2019).

Didau, D. (2014) The secret of numeracy (across the curriculum). Available at: https://learningspy.co.uk/featured/secret-numeracy/ (accessed: 2^ndMay, 2019). 

Evans, G (2015) The Donaldson Report: An at-a-glance-guide. Available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/the-donaldson-report-an-at-a-glance-guide-8713671(accessed: 2nd May, 2019). 

No author (2001) The importance of numeracy across the curriculum. Available at: http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/secondary/math/download/file/PDF/Unit%201%20The%20Importance%20of%20Numeracy%20Across%20the%20Curriculum.pdf(accessed: 2^ndMay, 2019). 

Sage (no date) Mathematics in the Primary Curriculum. Available at: https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/34247_Haylock_chapter_2.pdf(accessed: 2nd May, 2019). 

SSAT (2015) Leading and Managing Numeracy Across the Curriculum. Available at: https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/event/numeracy-across-the-curriculum/(accessed: 2^ndMay, 2019). 

Shaw, V. S. (2018) 4 benefits of a Cross-Curricular Math Environment. Available at: https://www.firsttutors.com/uk/blog/2018/04/4-benefits-of-a-cross-curricular-math-environment/ (accessed: 2^ndMay, 2019).