HAR06339

Using children’s learning stories to assess their mathematics learning

in preschools and schools
Elspeth Harley Bob Perry Nicole Hentschke
South Australian Department of University of Western South Australian Department of
Education and Children’s Services Sydney Education and Children’s Services
Harley.Elspeth@saugov.sa.gov.a b.perry@uws.edu.au kindy.director@enfieldkgn.sa.edu.a
u u

The approaches to teaching and learning mathematics in Australian preschools and schools can
be quite different. These differences arise from what can be termed different ‘cultures’ within
the prior-to-school and school settings. Even the first years of school can be characterised by
teacher-centred, syllabus-driven lessons and written, group-based assessment while the
preschools tend to adhere to their child-centred, play-based approaches. The result of these
differences can be a hiatus in the children’s mathematics learning and the teachers’ assessment
of this learning. This paper reports on one attempt to bridge this gap, not, as so often happens,
by ‘forcing down’ the primary school curriculum into the preschool but by maintaining a focus
on appropriate learning approaches in this period of the children’s lives. The Southern
Numeracy Initiative was established in 2003 in high schools, primary schools and preschools
situated in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Its general aim was to improve
mathematics and numeracy outcomes through a sustained, collaborative program of
professional development and action research, particularly in the areas of pedagogy and
assessment. This paper reports work done with preschool educators as part of SNI. It traces
how ‘powerful ideas’ in mathematics were identified in current preschool practice, how they
were linked to the Developmental Learning Outcomes in the mandatory curriculum documents
and how the technique of learning stories (narrative assessment) was established as a valid
assessment regime compatible with key principles of preschool education.

In Australia, pressure on first-year-of-school teachers to lift their expectations of young

children’s mathematical potential has exerted pressure on prior-to-school educators and
parents to ensure, wherever possible, that children starting school can perform at a higher
mathematical level than previously expected and that they are able to succeed at more formal
mathematics than had previously been the case (Perry & Dockett, 2005a). There is often
conflict between this increase in formality and the play-based, child-centred philosophies of
prior-to-school settings (Thomson, Rowe, Underwood, & Peck, 2005).
The Southern Numeracy Initiative (SNI) was established in 2004 among five high
schools, sixteen primary schools and six preschools in two districts south of Adelaide. The
aims of SNI included the following:
• to develop and implement successful teaching and learning practices to improve
numeracy; and
• to challenge teachers to explore their beliefs and understandings about how children
develop their understanding of mathematics, and how this can be supported through
the teaching program.
The preschools in SNI had some concerns about the direction being taken by the schools
involved, especially in terms of apparent tension between the formality of instruction and the
methods of assessment chosen by the schools and the child-centred, play-based approaches
that characterised their early childhood programs. As a consequence, two of the authors of
this paper were invited to work with the preschool educators in SNI to develop a program
aimed at improving teaching, learning and assessment practices in the numeracy development
of young children. The key research question for the overall early childhood project was: how
can the powerful mathematical ideas that are displayed by young children before they start
school be recognised and celebrated in a valid manner within the context of a mandated
reporting regime and a child-centred, play-based approach to learning. This paper reports on
some of the outcomes from this work.

Powerful Mathematical Ideas

Preschool educators tend, at least in Australia, to reject the divided, content-based
approach to mathematics curriculum which is often used in schools (Australian Association of
Mathematics Teachers and Early Childhood Australia, 2006; Doig, McCrae, & Rowe, 2003).
There is, however, general agreement that all children in their early childhood years are
capable of accessing powerful mathematical ideas that are both relevant to their current lives
and form a critical foundation for their future mathematical learning and that children should
be given the opportunity to access these ideas through high quality child-centred activities in
their homes, communities, and prior-to-school settings (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell,
2001; Perry & Dockett, 2005a; Thomson et al., 2005).
Two of the authors of this paper have constructed a list of powerful mathematical ideas
that they have used for some time to plan, observe, facilitate and assess young children’s
mathematical learning (Perry & Dockett, 2002, 2005b). Their list bears many similarities to
other such lists (see, for example, Greenes, Ginsburg, & Balfanz, 2004; National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, 2000) and consists of the following powerful mathematical ideas.
Mathematisation: the process of generating mathematical problems, concepts and ideas
from real world situations and using mathematics to attempt a solution to the problems so
derived.
Connections: mathematics learning is related to learning in other areas; learning in one
area of mathematics can be relevant to learning in another area of mathematics; and the
relevance of mathematics to the contexts in which the child is experiencing it.
Argumentation: the process that allows children to justify their own mathematical
thinking and to understand that of other people.
Number sense and mental computation: Number sense includes “a person's general
understanding of numbers and operations along with the ability and inclination to use this
understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgments and to develop useful and
efficient strategies for dealing with numbers and operations” (McIntosh, Reys, & Reys, 1997,
p. 322).
Algebraic reasoning: In the early childhood years, much algebraic reasoning is embodied
in work on patterns and relationships. Concepts such as equality, sequence, variability and
symbolisation are also relevant.
Spatial and geometric reasoning: Children in the early childhood years begin to reason
about shapes by considering certain features of the shapes. Spatial thinking plays a role in
making sense of problems and in representing mathematics in different forms such as
diagrams and graphs.
Data and probability sense: Data plays a critical role in our modern society. Much
information uses statistical ideas and is transmitted through graphs and tables. Children at all
levels of schooling need to be able to deal with these data in sensible ways. That is, they need
a sense about data. Chance (probability) experiences are had by almost everyone every day.
Children need the opportunity to develop their thinking about chance and its quantification so
that they are able to build on the informal chance experiences they will have in their lives and
be in a position to make sensible decisions in situations of uncertainty.

Developmental Learning Outcomes

The South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services is responsible for
the education of children in preschools, primary and secondary schools throughout the state.
A key curriculum document across this broad span is The South Australian Curriculum,
Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework (Department of Education, Training and
Employment, 2001). Educators in South Australian preschools and schools are accountable to
this framework. In the preschool year, this accountability for children’s learning is assessed
against eight Developmental Learning Outcomes (DLOs)—broad, observable and assessable
consequences of the curriculum that reflect the integration of learning and development and
allow for the different developmental pathways of individual children. The Developmental
Learning Outcomes are:
• Children develop trust and confidence;
• Children develop a positive sense of self and a confident personal and group identity;
• Children develop a sense of being connected with others and their world;
• Children are intellectually inquisitive;
• Children develop a range of thinking skills;
• Children are effective communicators;
• Children demonstrate a sense of physical wellbeing; and
• Children develop a range of physical competencies.
This paper reports how the powerful mathematical ideas and the developmental learning
outcomes were brought together by a group of practising early childhood educators into a
numeracy matrix which encouraged the educators to plan, implement and assess their
practices. It also considers the use of learning stories by the early childhood educators to
assess the mathematics learning of preschool children.

Constructing the Numeracy Matrix

Two of the authors of this paper worked with a small group of early childhood educators
for two days in 2005 and two days during 2006. On the first day, background information was
presented and discussed on the nature of powerful mathematical ideas and their relevance to
early childhood. Participants agreed to use the powerful mathematical ideas presented in their
planning and assessment of children’s learning outcomes. As well, participants were
introduced to the learning stories (narrative assessment) methodology for assessment (Carr,
2001) and were invited to use this methodology in their settings. The second professional
development day emphasised links between the developmental learning outcomes from the
SACSA Framework and the powerful mathematical ideas introduced on the first day. During
the second day, participants were introduced to the notion of the numeracy matrix and
provided with some exemplary cells in the matrix. Part of their task on this day was to
complete other cells in the matrix. The third professional development day was held in
March, 2006 and allowed the early childhood educators to share their experiences with the
numeracy matrix and with the learning stories assessment approach. A further meeting in
June, 2006 continued the refinement of the matrix and the development of the educators’
expertise in using it in their settings, particularly in terms of using it to analyse their learning
stories.

The Numeracy Matrix

The theoretical basis for the numeracy matrix is that the key determinants of children’s
successful outcomes are the pedagogical relationships and practices of educators (Laevers &
Heylen, 2004). Hence, the elements of the matrix that bring the DLOs and the powerful
mathematical ideas together are ‘pedagogical questions’—questions asked of early childhood
educators as to what practices they are using to ensure that their children’s learning outcomes
for both the powerful mathematical ideas and the DLOs are developing. The numeracy
matrix constructed during the SNI professional development days consists of 56 cells (eight
DLOs x seven powerful mathematical ideas) in which each cell provides examples of
pedagogical questions early childhood educators can ask themselves as they teach towards,
assess or report on the DLOs while, at the same time, take cognisance of the appropriate
mathematical development of their children.
An example of one of the cells of the numeracy matrix is presented in Table 1.

Table 1: An example of a cell from the numeracy matrix

Powerful DLO: Children develop a range of thinking skills
mathematical idea
Data and Probability How do we encourage children to develop a notion of fairness in their lives?
Sense In what ways do we provide opportunities for children to monitor change over
time?

In this cell are two pedagogical questions which challenge early childhood educators to
inquire as to what they are doing to help children develop both the mathematical idea and the
developmental learning outcome. The answers to these questions will affirm those educators
who are working towards these goals, as well as suggest to them that more activities might be
needed to help the children develop further. The questions will also stimulate educators who
have not considered their practices in these areas to investigate the relevance of current
activities and practices or the need for new practices. These pedagogical questions have
relevance to other key learning areas as well as mathematics, thus emphasising integration of
mathematics learning with other learning areas.
One of the ways in which the SNI early childhood educators chose to conceptualise the
matrix was in terms of the level of outcomes it encompassed. Using Harley’s (2005) model,
the developmental learning outcomes could be seen as the ‘castle’ for which the educators are
striving. That is, they are the transformational goals for children’s learning consisting of
integrated skills and understandings. In our context, the powerful mathematical ideas can be
characterised as the ‘walls’ from which, at least in part, the castles are built. These are the
transitional goals for children’s learning consisting of higher order competencies and
processes. In castle constructions, walls are built from ‘bricks’ and in our context, the early
childhood educators saw the bricks as the traditional goals for children’s mathematical
learning, consisting of the small segments of learning achieved through tasks structured by
educators. In some ways, these bricks were the practices and activities identified by the
pedagogical questions contained in the body of the matrix. As one SNI early childhood
educator suggested:
The matrix encompasses all the levels that I need to consider when I am planning and assessing
children’s mathematical development. I know that the bricks are important but in the past, that was
about as far as I got. Now I can see that I need to think about the walls and the overall castle whenever
I do something. I am trying to build castles and everything I do has to be aimed at doing that. Most of it
is but I had never thought about it like that before.
The numeracy matrix is, by its very nature, a work in progress. As the early childhood
educators using the matrix have become more confident and competent, they have suggested
changes. Some mathematics educators who have studied the matrix have suggested possible
changes on the basis of recent research in their field – research which is not normally
available to practising early childhood educators. The matrix is a dynamic reflection of the
knowledge of the educators using it and, as such, should be expected not only to be grounded
in the contexts in which these educators work but to change as their knowledge changes.
 For educators who have not undergone the almost 2 years of growth embodied by the
numeracy matrix and the ideas supporting it, the matrix can still provide stimulation for their
own journeys. Hence, it is presented here in its current entirety.
For convenience, the numeracy matrix has been organised into two parts – one dealing
with the powerful mathematical process ideas (Table 2) and one with the powerful
mathematical content ideas (Table 3).
 HAR06339
Table 2: Process matrix
Developmental Mathematisation Connections Argumentation
Learning Outcome

Children develop How do we encourage children to take risks as they How do we encourage children to play and interact What opportunities and support do we give children
trust and confidence seek to find the mathematics in everyday situations? purposefully with the mathematics they experience to explore and take risks as they justify their
What opportunities and support do we give children in their lives? mathematical thinking?
to choose to play with and participate fully in What opportunities and support do we give children How do we encourage children to demonstrate
mathematical situations arising from their worlds? to manage and work with different contexts in flexibility and to manage different mathematical
which a mathematical idea can occur? ideas as they are presented to them by peers?

Children develop a How do we encourage children to accept the How do we encourage children to feel that they How do we encourage children to develop and
positive sense of self challenge of finding mathematics in everyday belong to a mathematical learning community with maintain respectful relationships with adults and
and a confident and situations and to use this mathematics to solve shared values and responsibilities? children even though they may not agree with their
personal group problems arising from the situation? How do we encourage children to respond mathematical ideas?
identity What opportunities do we provide for children to positively to the mathematical ideas and strategies How do we encourage children to help develop
participate actively in collaborative mathematical of others? agreed values and sociomathematical norms of
problem solving and problem posing? What opportunities do we provide for children to behaviour in their groups?
What opportunities do we provide for children to explore different mathematical ideas through
explore different perspectives as they attempt to collaborative group work?
solve mathematical problems?

Children develop a How do we encourage children to represent their How do we encourage children to contribute to How do we encourage children to contribute
sense of being mathematical thinking through the use of symbols, collaborative group work in mathematics through constructively to mathematical discussions and
connected with others words and pictures? taking on a variety of roles? arguments?
and their worlds How do we encourage children to use technology to How do we encourage children to gain knowledge How do we encourage children to question why
help them solve mathematical problems? of and build respect for mathematical strategies used their and other people’s mathematical ideas work?
What opportunities do we provide for children to by other people? What opportunities do we provide for children to
investigate mathematical similarities, differences What opportunities do we provide for children to communicate their own mathematical ideas to a
and patterns in their lives? connect the different mathematical ideas they learn? respectful group of peers?

Children are What opportunities do we give children to What opportunities do we give children to What opportunities do we give children to put
intellectually experiment with mathematical concepts and investigate mathematical ideas that are part of the forward a mathematical argument and to justify it?
inquisitive representations in problem solving and local natural and constructed environment? How do we assist children to gain confidence in
investigation? How do we encourage children to use mathematics their ability to explore, hypothesise and make
How do we encourage children to gather to be critical consumers of everyday products? appropriate choices in their mathematics?
information and ask questions that might be How do we assist children to find connections
answered by this information? between different mathematical concepts and
representations?
 Developmental Mathematisation Connections Argumentation
Learning Outcome

Children develop a How do we encourage children to use the processes How do we encourage children to use mathematics How do we encourage children to participate in
range of thinking of play, reflection and investigation to solve to describe and analyse their experiences? group discussion and justification about the solution
skills mathematical problems? What opportunities do we provide for children to of mathematical problems?
What opportunities do we provide to reflect upon reflect upon and respect diversity and connections What opportunities do we provide for children to
and communicate their mathematical thinking? between people’s mathematical knowledge and suggest alternative solutions to mathematical
strategies? problems?

Children are effective How do we encourage children to talk about and How do we encourage children to use different How do we encourage children to interact with
communicators represent their efforts to solve mathematical communication strategies to organise and clarify others to explore ideas, negotiate possible solutions
problems? their mathematical thinking? and share their mathematical learning?
What opportunities do we provide for each child to What opportunities do we provide for each child to What opportunities do we provide for each child to
demonstrate that symbols are a powerful means of link their mathematics learning into language and use different communication strategies to help
communicating mathematical ideas but that they are literature experiences? clarify their and their peers’ mathematical thinking?
not the only way?

Children develop a What opportunities do we provide for each child to What opportunities do we provide for children to What opportunities do we provide for children to
sense of physical well demonstrate enthusiasm for new mathematical use mathematics to help predict and manage change develop confidence in expressing their mathematical
being tasks? in their daily lives? ideas?
How do we encourage children to celebrate their How do we encourage children to use mathematics How do we encourage children to celebrate their
successes in mathematics? to increase their knowledge and understanding efforts and achievements in mathematics learning?
about physical health and capabilities?

Children develop a How do we encourage children to actively explore How do we encourage children to move confidently How do we encourage children to integrate their
range of physical mathematical problems and investigate relevant in space and perform different movement patterns mathematical thinking with their communication
competencies problems through mathematics? with growing spatial awareness? skills so that they can justify their opinion?
 Table 3: Content matrix
Developmental Number Sense and Mental Algebraic Reasoning Spatial and Geometric Thinking Data and Probability Sense
Learning Outcome Computation

Children develop How do we encourage children to use How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to
trust and confidence their own thinking strategies? explore patterns? initiate and participate purposefully in make choices in their lives?
What opportunities do we give What opportunities and support do we spatial tasks? In what ways are children able to
children to demonstrate flexibility and give children to manage change as In what ways are children able to explore and take risks in their own
make choices? they engage with pattern making demonstrate flexibility and make lives?
What opportunities and support do we activities? choices when playing with collections
give children to take risks when of everyday shapes and objects?
developing understandings about
number?

Children develop a How do we provide opportunities for In what ways do we encourage In what ways do we encourage In what ways do we encourage
positive sense of self children to experiment and think children to explore their place in the children to explore relationships children to explore data collected from
and a confident and about number in different contexts, patterns of traditions and rituals in among collections of shapes? their environment and to record these
personal group including their own family group, their families? How do we encourage children to data?
identity traditions and rituals? How do we encourage children to explore different perspectives in art How do we encourage children to
What opportunities do we provide for explore different perspectives in and spatial ideas? begin to recognise, discuss and
children to seek new challenges and mathematical problem solving? challenge unfair attitudes and actions?
persist in their problem solving?

Children develop a How do we encourage children to play How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to
sense of being with number? explore relationships through making explore shapes of living things? explore groups to which they belong,
connected with others How do we encourage children to and continuing patterns? What do we do to encourage children based on particular attributes?
and their worlds represent number in a variety of What do we do to encourage children to use visual representations in What opportunities do we provide for
ways? to use symbols and different recording their spatial thinking? children to gather data on living and
representations of their mathematics? What opportunities do we provide for non-living aspects of their
What opportunities do we provide for children to develop awareness of environments?
children to develop awareness of similarities and differences among
similarities, differences, patterns and shapes and objects?
changes through their mathematical
activity?
 Developmental Number Sense and Mental Algebraic Reasoning Spatial and Geometric Thinking Data and Probability Sense
Learning Outcome Computation

Children are What opportunities do we give What opportunities do we give What opportunities do we give What opportunities do we give
intellectually children to explore, hypothesise, take children to experiment with word, children to explore their local children to investigate different forms
inquisitive risks and engage in symbolic and language, number and shape patterns? environment and record what they see of data representation?
dramatic play with confidence? How do we encourage children to using visual means? How do we encourage children to
explore patterns using their senses? How do we encourage children to interpret data arising from the use of
How do we assist children to use analyse critically the shapes found on everyday products?
pattern making and pattern the supermarket shelves? How do we assist children to gather
continuation for problem solving and How do we assist children to compare information, ask questions, seek
investigation? and classify shapes? clarification and consider possibilities
about their own lives?

Children develop a How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to use How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to
range of thinking generate a range of ideas and to use patterns to generate mathematical participate in group discussions and develop a notion of fairness in their
skills the process of play, reflection and ideas? brainstorms around the properties of lives?
investigation to find answers to In what ways do we provide shapes? In what ways do we provide
problems? opportunities for children to reflect In what ways do we provide opportunities for children to monitor
upon their mathematical pattern opportunities for children to use their change over time?
making? imagination to generate interesting
shapes or patterns?

Children are effective How do we encourage children to talk How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to use How do we encourage children to use
communicators about and represent their findings? demonstrate an understanding that different communication strategies to the language of chance?
symbols are a powerful means describe shapes and their properties? What opportunities do we provide for
communication? What opportunities do we provide for children to explore the ideas and
What opportunities do we provide for children to play with shapes and concepts of data representation?
children to engage in symbolic play? communicate their findings in a
variety of ways?

Children develop a What opportunities do we provide for What opportunities do we provide for What opportunities do we provide for What opportunities do we provide for
sense of physical well each child to accept new challenges, children to predict and manage change children to make discoveries that are children to predict and manage change
being make new discoveries and celebrate in their daily routines and record the new to them about shape and space? in their daily routines?
effort and achievement? patterns of their lives? In what ways do children demonstrate In what ways do children demonstrate
How do we encourage children to enthusiasm for spatial thinking? enthusiasm in approaching the ideas
engage in a variety of active and quiet of chance?
activities in order to experience a
balance?
 Developmental Number Sense and Mental Algebraic Reasoning Spatial and Geometric Thinking Data and Probability Sense
Learning Outcome Computation

Children develop a In what ways do we establish an How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to How do we encourage children to
range of physical environment that promotes children’s explore patterns in shape and space? move confidently in space and collect, analyse and represent data
competencies exploration? In what ways do we assist children to perform different movement patterns about their physical activity?
represent varied physical activities with growing spatial awareness?
and games through patterns and In what ways do we assist children to
symbols? engage in a variety of physical
activities and games which use
geometric ideas?
 As an illustration of the power of the numeracy matrix, consider the column headed by the
powerful mathematical idea Argumentation which
allows children … to justify not only their own mathematical thinking but also to distinguish between
the strengths of arguments and whether the mathematics being constructed within the arguments is
actually different from previous mathematical arguments that have been interactively constructed
(Perry & Dockett, 2002, p. 92).
Providing such justification, while clearly important as children develop their mathematics, is
also important in many other areas of learning and certainly contributes in numerous ways to
the developmental learning outcomes. On the other hand, the development of this powerful
mathematical idea depends on early childhood educators’ pedagogical practices, some of
which are presented in the form of questions or challenges within the numeracy matrix. For
example, in answer to the pedagogical question “How do we encourage children to contribute
constructively to mathematical discussions and arguments?” one of the SNI early childhood
educators suggested:
We would firstly need to make sure that children felt safe in talking up about their solutions and those
of others. We want them to say what they think but in ways that will not hurt anyone. That will depend
a lot on the atmosphere in the group but it will also need the kids to know the maths that they are
talking about.
The contribution of each powerful mathematical idea to the development learning
outcome Children are intellectually inquisitive also provides an example of the power of the
matrix. While few of the early childhood educators involved in SNI would have argued
against mathematics contributing to this DLO, none was able to articulate how that might
occur in a learning area such as mathematics with its perceived underlying (and constraining)
structure. Through their use of the numeracy matrix, the educators are now able to see how
each of the powerful ideas contributes to the DLO. One of them was able to suggest that the
work with the numeracy matrix had helped them see how the DLOs were the capstones to all
that they were trying to do in all learning areas.
When I thought about shapes and geometry, I thought all that was needed was for the children to know
the names of some regular shapes. It was really not something I thought they would be inquisitive
about. By using the matrix, I can see that they can develop their inquisitiveness by asking lots of
questions about lots of different shapes in their environment – not just triangles and circles – and can
investigate why things are the way they are. This will take them into asking about how things are used,
where they come from, whether some shapes are better than others for a particular job and why some
shapes look better than others. It is exciting for the children – and for me!

Learning Stories and the Assessment of Powerful Mathematics Ideas

The approach to assessment known as Learning Stories has been pioneered by Carr
(2001). Learning Stories are qualitative snapshots, recorded as structured written narratives,
often with accompanying photographs that document and communicate the context and
complexity of children’s learning (Carr, 2001). They include relationships, dispositions and
an interpretation by someone who knows the child well. They are “structured observations in
everyday or ‘authentic’ settings, designed to provide a cumulative series of snapshots” (Carr
& Claxton, 2002, p. 22). Learning stories acknowledge the multiple intelligences and holistic
nature of young children’s learning, educators’ pedagogy and the context in which the
learning takes place. Educators use their evaluation of the learning story to plan for future,
ongoing learning. In South Australia, learning stories have been used by preschool educators
for some time, especially in the area of literacy learning. However, they tended not to be used
in the area of mathematics, partly because the preschool educators did not have sufficient
 confidence in their ability to link what they were observing with mathematical learning
outcomes. The introduction of the numeracy matrix has given this confidence to the group of
educators working with the authors and has produced some outstanding results. Two
mathematical learning stories illustrate this point.

Figure 1: Learning Story 1

Luke was playing

outside on the lawn
with the portable
padded climbing
shapes. He decided
that he would like to
design his own shape
and began moving the
pieces to form the
climbing path he
wanted.
Evaluation He experimented over
Luke! How creative you are. You have shown your and over re-arranging
ability to plan and design and build, as well as your the pieces in as many
awareness of shape and size (spatial concepts) ways as he could think
You are able to share and turn take and negotiate of, trying it out each
and communicate with your friends. time.
You were able to concentrate on the task in hand
for a long time and you were very involved in what
you were doing.

What next?
Perhaps we could draw some designs next time.
We could also use the “Waffle Blocks” to build
with. Luke might enjoy helping to set up an
obstacle course in the climbing area!
 There are clear links between the learning story Luke’s Climbing Plan and the numeracy
matrix. The most obvious is the link between the DLO Children develop trust and confidence
and the powerful mathematical idea Spatial and Geometric Thinking. Luke has been given the
opportunity, through the provision of time, materials and space, to ‘participate purposefully in
spatial tasks’ and to ‘demonstrate flexibility and to make choices’. The educator’s suggestions
for What Next are derived from the pedagogical question ‘What do we do to encourage
children to use visual representations in recording their spatial thinking?’ from the cell linking
the DLO Children develop a sense of being connected with others and their worlds and the
powerful mathematical idea Spatial and Geometric Thinking. In terms of mathematical
processes, one example of a link to Luke’s play through the numeracy matrix is the
pedagogical question ‘How do we encourage children to play and interact purposefully with
the mathematics they experience in their lives?’ in the Children develop trust and confidence
and Connections cell.

Figure 2: Learning Story 2

How Many Phones?

Zac was at
the making
table and had
already made
quite a few
phones. I
went over to
have a look
and asked
how many
phones he had made. Zac counted them placing them
into a pile as he counted he reached the total of 6. I suggested to Zac that maybe he
could make a telephone for everyone at kindy. How many will you need to make? Zac set
about counting all the children at kindy and reached 14. I asked him if he had counted
himself and he said no. So I said if you have already counted 14 what comes after 14.
Zac thought for a moment and then replied 15. I posed Zac with the next question if
you’ve already made 6 how many more will you need? He
shrugged his shoulders.
So I said if you’ve
already made 6 let’s
keep counting what
comes next? Zac
counted on
7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15
as I held up my fingers
for each number. How
many fingers do I have
held up? Zac counted them in his head moving his
lips giving the answer of 9. Zac found 9 more
boxes and set about making them into phones. This
process took some time. Once he had finished I
suggested that he might need to write the
children’s name on them so they would know which
was theirs. Zac thought this was a good idea. I
marked of the roll and helped Zac with the first
name tag that he would need so that he could copy
each child’s name. I left the roll on the table and
told Zac which was the next name tag he would need to get by looking at the roll. When
I came back he was using the roll to copy each child’s name. This seemed like a much
better idea so I explained to Zac that where there was a tick that was the name to
write. Zac decided to put something under the name he was writing so he knew where he
was up to. He completed this successfully and then it was time to give out the phones to
everyone. He went around giving some of the children the phones but when the children
didn’t say thank you he stood with his arms crossed waiting for them to reply. Catherine
(teacher) said that maybe if you say “I made this phone for you” they might say thank
you. Zac gave this a go the next time he gave one of the children a phone. To his
surprise they said thank you and he couldn’t wait to share this with me.

Evaluation

Zac has an understanding of numbers and could work out what number came after 14
he was also able to count on from 6. With support Zac was learning how to work out
how many boxes he needed. He was able to correspond the ticks to the children’s name
and even worked out a strategy to help him know which name to write next making the
task much easier for himself. Zac is interested in writing and copying print (as seen in
the photo) he produces writing for a particular purpose and understands the reason
behind labelling things with names. When Zac is focused his determination and
motivation is at a heighten level to complete the task. This learning experience also
shows Zac's willingness to take advice given by staff to support him in his learning and
put this into practice which gave him a great sense of achievement.

What Next?
Zac is continually coming up with his own ideas and interest which we need to extend and
support to further his learning.

In the How Many Phones learning story, the most obvious link into the numeracy matrix
is through the powerful mathematical idea Number Sense and Mental Computation. Zac’s
efforts show a strong understanding of some aspects of number beyond what most 4-year-olds
could be expected to have. However, the educator’s interventions with Zac are where the
strength of the numeracy matrix can be seen. For example, the suggestion that Zac tell each of
the other children about the phones links with the DLO Children are effective communicators
while the extension of the child’s activity to the making of a phone for all the children could
have been stimulated by the question ‘What opportunities do we provide for children to seek
new challenges and persist in their problem solving?’ in the Children develop a positive sense
of self and a confident and personal group identity and Number Sense and Mental
Computation cell.

Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was to introduce the numeracy matrix which has been
developed as part of the Southern Numeracy Initiative in South Australia and to celebrate the
work of the early childhood educators who have been involved in its development. There is
evidence that the use of the numeracy matrix and the thinking behind it have had positive
effects on the pedagogical practices of the early childhood educators involved. This, coupled
with the learning stories assessment methodologies which allows the preschool educators to
meet their reporting obligations while at the same time remaining true to their early childhood
philosophies suggest that the SNI preschool project will lead to improved practices and,
consequently, improved learning outcomes for the children who are fortunate enough to be
taught by this enthusiastic group of educators. In the words of one of the educators:
The numeracy matrix has helped me to rethink the way I am teaching and the way children are learning
at my centre. It is a useful document in the planning and evaluation not only of children’s learning but
in your own teaching pedagogy. It poses questions that look not just at the skills that children are
required to have in numeracy but it looks deeper into ‘how’ and ‘what’ we do to encourage and provide
opportunities for children to experience and develop mathematical understandings.

References
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers and Early Childhood Australia (2006). Position paper on early
childhood mathematics. Available on-line from: http://www.aamt.edu.au
Carr, M. (2001). Assessment in early childhood settings: Learning stories. London: Paul Chapman.
Carr, M., & Claxton, G. (2002). Tracking the development of learning dispositions. Assessment in Education,
9(1), 9-37.
Department of Education, Training and Employment. (2001). South Australian curriculum, standards and
accountability framework. Adelaide: Author. Available online from: http://www.sacsa.sa.edu.au
Doig, B., McCrae, B., & Rowe, K. (2003). A good start to numeracy: Effective numeracy strategies from
research and practice in early childhood. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Available online from: http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/publications/2003/index.htm
Greenes, C., Ginsburg, H. P., & Balfanz, R. (2004). Big math for little kids. Early Childhood Research
Quarterly, 19(1), 159-166.
Harley, E. (2005). Curriculum accountability framework for preschools: Supporting, assessing and reporting
for children’s learning and development. Unpublished report, South Australian Department of Education
and Children’s Services.
Kilpatrick, J., Swafford, J., & Findell, B. (Eds.) (2001). Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Laevers, F., & Heylen, L. (Eds.). (2004). Involvement of children and teacher style: Insights from an
international study on experimental education. Leuven, Belgium: Leuven University Press.
McIntosh, A., Reys, B. J., & Reys, R. E. (1997). Mental computation in the middle grades: The importance of
thinking strategies. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 2(5), 322-327.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston,
VA: Author.
Perry, B., & Dockett, S. (2002). Young children’s access to powerful mathematical ideas. In L. D. English (Ed.).
Handbook of international research in mathematics education: Directions for the 21st century (pp. 81-111).
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Perry, B., & Dockett, S. (2005a). “I know that you don’t have to work hard”: Mathematics learning in the first
year of primary school. In H. L. Chick & J. L. Vincent (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th conference of the
International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, (Vol. 4, pp. 65-72). Melbourne:
University of Melbourne.
Perry, B., & Dockett, S. (2005b). What did you do in maths today? Australian Journal of Early Childhood.
30(3), 32-36.
Thomson, S., Rowe, K., Underwood, C., & Peck, R. (2005). Numeracy in the early years: Project Good Start.
Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.