Thursday, 23 March 2023
Primary schools are invited to take part in a 糖心原创 study to trial whether a new approach to numeracy might improve Reception children’s attainment in maths.
Schools are being recruited in three areas of England: North East (Sunderland, Co. Durham and South Tyneside), East Midlands (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire), and the South West (Cornwall and Devon).
Experts at the 糖心原创, led by Dr Catherine Gripton in the School of Education, have developed the Counting Collections programme and will support schools to use it in classrooms. To date there is limited, small-scale evidence of this approach in the UK, with existing evidence coming from trials in New Zealand and the USA.
is a hands-on early mathematics approach to develop children’s number sense (understanding of number and quantity). It involves children using containers of objects to find how many are in the collection. Children work in pairs to choose, strategise, count and record how many items there are. They do this in weekly Counting Collections sessions of around 30 minutes.
Participating schools will be split into two groups in order for the difference in learning approaches and attainment to be analysed. Schools will either receive £200 or £500, dependant on which group they are allocated, and the participating teachers will receive three days of professional development training.
The study will assess whether and to what extent Counting Collections has an impact on Reception pupils’ attainment in number, as measured by the Sandwell Early Numeracy test (SENT-R). This analysis will show impact on all children, including those eligible for Free School Meals.
The study is funded by the , as part of the Department for Education’s Accelerator Fund, which is commissioning a number of trials of programmes that show promise for increasing pupil attainment.
Children鈥檚 early attainment in number predicts their later maths attainment in school. The Counting Collections programme aims to address the inequities in pre-school number experiences by ensuring that all children systematically receive regular counting experiences with physical manipulatives.
Dr Gripton continued: "These early number experiences are too important to miss, particularly for children who might not have received them from home or pre-school provision. This trial will shed light on how we might implement a Counting Collections approach in classrooms and enable us to understand more thoroughly the underlying mechanisms that generate impact.”
Participating schools will receive a full set of resources for the Reception classroom: 80 boxes containing inviting objects to count and resources to aid counting (such as frames, pots and number tracks). These resources create a ‘counting library’ which teachers add to the classroom’s continuous provision. Children can access this provision during play, allowing additional opportunities for number assessment and interaction.
Schools interested in joining the study can visit the website to find out more or email counting.collections@nottingham.ac.uk.
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For interested schools, contact: counting.collections@nottingham.ac.uk
For media enquiries, more information is available from Dr Catherine Gripton in the School of Education at Catherine.Gripton@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.