Making Britain Numerate is a publication written for work-based (or FE college) learners studying for Functional Skills, or Skills for Life, qualifications.
Author: Kevin Norley
Published by Imprimata (26 Jan 2009)
£10 each. Available to order online at:
Waterstones
Amazon
WH Smith
Email: knorley1@tiscali.co.uk
They focus on the areas of difficulty that many learners face with numeracy, literacy and language, and offer solutions in the form of a range of ideas, methods and resources to resolve those difficulties. They are designed both to support learners directly and to support tutors in supporting their learners.
Making Britain Numerate
- Focuses on areas of difficulty that many learners face with numeracy, and offers solutions in the form of a range of ideas, methods and resources to resolve those difficulties.
- Offers a range of clear, direct and contextualised methods and strategies together with detailed explanations as to how and why such methods and strategies should be used and reinforced.
- Comes in the form of a workbook which offers a step by step guide for learners to progress from L1 numeracy to L3 numeracy.
- Contains L1, L2 and L3 practice questions (along with answers at the back), with each question supported by one or more worked examples.
- Offers a critique of, and an alternative to, current initial and diagnostic assessments (paper or computer-based) in the form of a learning assessment together with a rationale for its use.
- Sets a minimum level and standard for tutors supporting learners with their numeracy.
- Contains extension work in the form of a L3 numeracy learning guide (also with a step by step guide and worked examples).
- Acts as a guide and support for tutors in developing their learners’ numeracy skills.
- Was developed as a result of working with a wide range of learners from a wide range of backgrounds in a wide range of environments.
- Is suitable for learners studying functional skills on work-based or college apprenticeship programmes.
- Draws upon studies, from employers’ organisations and government bodies, detailing the effects of poor numeracy skills upon individuals and employers.
- Considers the needs and concerns of employers with regards to developing their employees numeracy skills
- Considers the language needs of ESOL learners (e.g. see rationale behind part A of the learning assessment.)
- Took some inspiration from the numeracy subject specialist course at Bedford College.
- Is rooted in a high level of expectations of students and tutors.
- Comes in the form of a workbook which gives learners the opportunity to demonstrate, and compare and contrast, methods (a useful skill for the functional skills mathematics papers) and tutors the opportunity to check them and engage in their learners’ learning, and in so doing serves as a motivational tool for learners.
- Focuses on developing everyday numeracy skills and gives learners the opportunity to learn from the assessments and guides, and from their own mistakes.
- Adopts an integrated approach to learning numeracy whereby conversions are illustrated and used to solve a range of problems.
- Contains a range of very favourable reviews (see inside cover of book).
“This is a superb book which can be used as a study guide for anyone wishing to improve their own numeracy skills, or help someone else with theirs. I have used the book with many of my staff, and all have commented at how easy it is to grasp the concepts within it. All have shown improvements in their numeracy skills.”
S Winch, Area Manager, East of England, VT Training, March 2009, Amazon.co.uk
“The level 3 numeracy staff training carried out by Mr Norley was based on a range of strategies that built on clear and precise methods, all of which are detailed in his book, ‘Making Britain Numerate.’ All the group passed their level 3 application of number test.”
Kevin George, Internal Verifier – Training, Babcock International Group
