Vocabulary for numeracy

Literacy in Numeracy

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Description

These activities support students in the development and consolidation of key vocabulary in the context of numeracy. They enable students to explore and compare key question verbs and nouns. They also support students in dealing with ‘false friends’, terms that have different meanings in a numeracy context than they do in everyday English.

Teaching and learning activities

The resources below provide targeted teaching strategies to support student improvement in this skill.

Each downloadable lesson activity includes:

  • learning intentions

  • a list of required resources

  • a step-by-step lesson sequence

  • printable classroom materials

Select the download all icon to download all available activities or select each activity separately.

Question verbs for numeracy Activities to develop skill in identifying and interpreting key verbs used in numeracy questions and tasks
Key terms for numeracy Exploring key, high-frequency terms used in numeracy questions and tasks
Key terms for EAL/D learners Activities to extend and consolidate knowledge of key numeracy terms, aimed particularly at EAL/D learners.
Common words with different meanings in numeracyExploring everyday words that have distinct meanings in a numeracy context
Prefixes Activities to expand student vocabularies by developing knowledge of prefixes commonly used in numeracy
Download all (ZIP) Download the resource pack containing all activities.

Relevance to the numeracy test marking

The level description for the achievement of Level 3 in the HSC minimum standard online numeracy test states:

‘Individuals performing at this level… interpret and comprehend mathematical information in written material, diagrams, charts and tables.’

The skill of successfully interpreting and comprehending mathematical information is implied in the various other skills described in the Level 3 Numeracy achievement level descriptions.

Connections with ACSF Level 3 descriptors

The relevant Level 3 ACSF descriptors for numeracy are shown here to demonstrate how the skill of ‘understanding and using key vocabulary for numeracy’ is assessed in the HSC minimum standard online test. The performance features identified show what a student is able to do in order to achieve at this level and are provided to support teachers to understand what is required to achieve a Level 3 in this skill.

Numeracy Indicator 3.09: Selects and interprets mathematical information that may be partly embedded in a range of familiar, and some less familiar, tasks and texts.

Focus area: Explicitness of mathematical information

Level 3 performance features:

- Interprets and comprehends a range of everyday mathematical information that is embedded in familiar and routine texts

Numeracy Indicator 3.11: Uses a combination of both informal and formal oral and written mathematical language and representation to communicate mathematically

Focus area: Written mathematical language

Level 3 performance features:

  • Uses a combination of both informal and formal written mathematical language and symbols and general language to document and report on the mathematical and problem solving process and results

Focus area: Oral mathematical language

Level 3 performance features:

  • Uses a combination of both informal and formal oral mathematical and general language to present and discuss the mathematical and problem solving process and result