Hello Math and Numeracy Warriors,
September 19 - 25, 2021, is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Literacy? Why are we talking about Literacy in a Math and Numeracy Community? Numeracy is assumed to be a part of literacy. While the definition of numeracy has been hard to operational define, I believe we can all agree that it is important in all people's lives. In the U.S., one way that numeracy is defined is as quantitative literacy. But, this can be quite controversial.
Mathematics and Numeracy is an essential component to most of the assessments we use in Adult Education/GED/HSE programs.
Adult Numeracy Network (ANN) founder Myrna Manly gave a speech about Literacy AND Numeracy: https://youtu.be/kj4odsJgnX4
Discussion questions:
1. Do you think numeracy is assume within the context of literacy?
2. How do or would you define numeracy?
Let's talk math during AEFLA Week!
Brooke Istas
Comments
1. I don't think this is a safe assumption that everyone is thinking about numeracy and I prefer to call it out separately to remind everyone - Literacy AND Numeracy! If you're doubting whether or not we need to emphasize numeracy, explore this map for your state or county. Note the definition of "at or below Level 1" by hovering over the "i" in a blue circle next to it.
2. I usually give my shortest answer - just like literacy is the reading skills you need for everyday life, numeracy is the math skills you need for everyday life. It's harder to define when you start getting into asking what content this includes.
"...just like literacy is the reading skills you need for everyday life, numeracy is the math skills you need for everyday life" is right on. Also, numeracy and literacy are intertwined. In adult life, the math often presents itself as real world word problems that are full of English words that have to be understood so that the relationships between the numbers can be understood to find the answer you need for your life.
Yes, good point!
Lots of people don't like to think about numeracy, period ;)
Numeracy would be understanding amounts and how numbers work especially for everyday skills. What that entails is going to be perhaps more complicated than "literacy," but maybe not...