The National Certificate in Adult Numeracy Level 2 Skills for Life Support Strategies Module 1: Programme overview and t

1. The National Certificate in Adult Numeracy Level 2 Skills for Life Support Strategies Module 1: Programme overview and taster session

2. Course aim To enable participants to brush up and consolidate personal numeracy skills at Level 2, explore Skills for Life support strategies and gain the National Certificate in Adult Numeracy at Level 2. 2

3. Course objectives To provide participants with an enjoyable experience of learning that meets their personal goals and interests. To cover all numeracy concepts included in Level 2 tests. To build participants’ confidence – particularly in responding to the Skills for Life support needs of learners within their organisations. To enable participants to experience the benefits of group teaching and learning and peer support. To enable participants to achieve the National Certificate in Adult Numeracy at Level 2. 3

4. Module 1: Outcomes Participants will have: an understanding of the contents of the training programme gained knowledge of their skills in relation to starting levels that will inform an individual learning plan sampled skills and test taster exercises explored a range of teaching and learning resources to support them and their learners. 4

5. Context for training Skills for Life strategy launched in March 2001 to raise the standards in literacy, numeracy and language of the UK’s adult population. Targets: 75,000 by 2004 1.5 million by 2007 Introduction of national standards, curricula and qualifications. 5

6. Adult Literacy in England 2002/03(aged 16–65) 5.2 m with below Level 1 literacy 14.1 m 12.6 m 3.5 m 1.1 m 0.6 m Base: all respondents with literacy score (7873) 6

7. Adult Numeracy in England 2002/03(aged 16–65) 15 m with below Level 1 numeracy 8.8 m 8.1 m 8.1 m 5.1 m 1.7 m Base: all respondents with numeracy score (8041) 7

8. National standards Separate strands of literacy/numeracy. Specify full range of skills required for an adult to communicate and apply numeracy effectively and confidently. 5 levels: Entry levels 1, 2 and 3 Level 1 and Level 2 8

9. National Qualifications: the National Certificates in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Part of National Qualifications Framework Short (1 hr literacy, 1¼ hr numeracy) and accessible 40 multiple choice questions – 1 mark each Four possible answers – three wrong, but plausible Pass mark 75% Numeracy coverage: • Number • Measures, shape and space • Handling data 9

10. National Qualifications Framework 10

11. Skills for Life:national professional qualifications Progression opportunities Certificate in Adult Learning Support at Level 2 Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Support at Level 3 Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Specialists at Level 4 11

12. For regular review of progress to inform learning programme Purpose of assessment Skills check To show who would benefit Mini-test could inform either stage Initial Assessment For level of skills Practice Test could inform either stage For detailed learner profile informs ILP Diagnostic Assessment Practice Test could inform Formative Assessment Formative Assessment Final Practice Test Take the National Test in Adult Literacy and/or Numeracy Completion of ILP for strand 1 Summative 12

13. What the experts say • ‘A man whose mind has gone astray should study mathematics.’ Francis Bacon • ‘Medicine makes people ill, mathematics make them sad and theology makes them sinful.’ Martin Luther • ‘In mathematics you don’t understand things, you just get used to them.’ Johann von Neumann • ‘There are three kinds of mathematicians: those who can count and those who cannot.’ Anon 13

14. The language of maths How many ways are there of saying: • add? • subtract? • multiply? • divide? • do a question? 14

15. Mind your language! Think about division: divide 6 into 12 • Does this mean ‘divide 12 by 6’? • Does it mean ‘divide 6 into 12 parts’? • What is the answer in each case? 15