Maths - Booklet to boost numeracy

4th February 2011, 12:00am

Bellahouston Academy in Glasgow has launched a numeracy booklet as part of its Curriculum for Excellence programme. The publication is aimed at S1 pupils, their parents and members of staff, and covers 14 key areas, including time, measurements, estimation, fractions and percentages.

“In each area, we have tried to give the pupils and the parents key examples, some of the terminology, some of the ideas, and what the kids are expected to know in first year,” said maths teacher Ian Robertson.

The 32-page guide is intended to support parents and serve as a useful reference for pupils. “If all pupils were issued with a booklet in S1, by the end of the year they would be very competent in these numeracy skills,” said Mr Robertson. Numeracy skills could be used in mathematics, science, home economics and English classes, he said.

The booklet was developed by a cross-curricular committee, with reference to booklets produced by Stromness Academy in Orkney and James Gillespie’s High in Edinburgh.

An initial 300 copies were printed, but the booklet is also available to pupils and teachers on the school website.

www.bellahoustonacademy.glasgow.sch.uk.