Numeracy – Skills for Success Practitioner Tools & Resources

Anxiety

Disability, Numeracy, Social-Emotional LearningSFS-2.8, SFS-3.2, SFS-3.8

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease. While everyone experiences anxiety at times, some individuals may find that their anxiety seriously impacts their lives and ability to learn. Some participants may experience anxiety only in specific learning situations, such as Math Anxiety.

Anxiety Canada. Anxiety in Adults. https://www.anxietycanada.com/learn-about-anxiety/anxiety-in-adults/
Bigdeli, S. (2010). Affective learning: the anxiety construct in adult learners. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810023219
Overcoming Anxiety in Adult Education. Decoda Literacy Solutions. https://decoda.ca/overcoming-anxiety-in-adult-education/
Hewitt, J. (2017). Yes, I Can: A Mental Health Guide for Adult Literacy Facilitators. https://projectread.ca/pdf/MentalHealthGuide2017.pdf

Math anxiety:

Zelazny, A., Bean, C., David, S., & Bruton, A., (n.d.). Who is afraid of math? what is math anxiety? and what can you do about it? Frontiers for Young Minds. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2017.00057
Barroso, C., Ganley, C.M., McGraw, A.L., Geer, E.A., Hart, S.A., and Daucourt, M.C. (2021). A meta-analysis of the relation between math anxiety and math achievement. Psychological Bulletin, 147(2), 134-168.

Document Use

Numeracy, Reading, Skills for Success Framework, WritingDEL-2.1, DES-3.1, SFS-2.1, SFS-2.3, SFS-2.5, SFS-2.7

Document Use is reading and using signs, labels, lists, maps, entry forms, and other visual and spatial displays of information. Document Use was one of the nine Essential Skills in the original framework. In the Skills for Success Framework, it is a skill that is embedded in Reading, Numeracy, and Writing.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2010). Readers’ Guide to Essential Skills Profiles. http://en.copian.ca/library/learning/hrsdc/guide/guide.pdf
Document Use Self-Assessment. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/training/initiatives/skills-success/tools/document-use-self-assessment.html
Document Use at Work. SkillPlan. https://skillplan.ca/document-use-at-work/
Document Use Workbook. (2017). Skills Compétences Canada. https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DocUse_Final20Nov17_EN.pdf
Skills for Success Framework (2021): https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/training/initiatives/skills-success.html
Research report to support the launch of Skills for Success (2021): https://www.srdc.org/media/553148/sfs-srdc-final-report-en.pdf

Numeracy Problem-Solving Strategies

NumeracySFS-3.2

Numeracy problem-solving strategies are step-by-step models participants can follow to successfully solve numeracy problems.

Math problem-solving: Combining Cognitive & Metacognitive Strategies. Response to Intervention | Math | Math Problem Solving. (n.d.). https://www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/math/math-problem-solving-combining-cognitive-metacognitive-strategies
Math & Numeracy Teaching Resources. Adult Numeracy Network – Teaching Resources. (n.d.). https://adultnumeracynetwork.org/Math-and-Numeracy-Teaching-Resources
Math Problem Solving Strategies. https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/problem-solving-strategies/

Numeracy Teaching and Learning Materials

Numeracy, Teaching and Learning MaterialsSFS-3.2

Numeracy teaching and learning materials are designed to enable participants to find, understand, use, and report mathematical information presented through words, numbers, symbols, and graphics.

The following links include practical, printable, ready-made resources to use in the delivery of Skills for Success training.

Grinder, P. (2020). Financial mathematics. BCcampus. Financial Mathematics.pdf
UP Skills for Work. https://upskillsforwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ABC-UP-Numeracy.pdf

Question Structure

Assessment, Numeracy, Reading, Skills for Success Framework, WritingASS-1.1, SFS-3.1, SFS-3.2, SFS-3.3

Question structure and complexity looks at the specific elements of questions that determine their level of difficulty.

Lew, J., & Hardt, M. D. (2011). Controlling complexity: An introduction to question structure. SkillPlan.
Mosenthal, P., & Kirsch, I.S. (1994). Defining the proficiency standards of adult literacy in the U.S.: A profile approach. Retrieved July 27, 2021 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED379531.pdf

Research on Teaching Numeracy

Numeracy, ResearchSFS-3.2

Numeracy skills enable participants to find, understand, use, and report mathematical information presented through words, numbers, symbols, and graphics.

The following links include research data and evidence to support the instruction of numeracy.

American Institute for Research (2014). Math Works! Guide. Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy. https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/Teal_Math_Works_Guide_508.pdf
Coben, D. et al. (2003). Adult numeracy: review of research and related literature. National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/22487/1/doc_2802.pdf
Dingwall, John (2000). Improving Numeracy in Canada, for the National Literacy Secretariate. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.854.5090&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Ginsburg, Lynda and Myrna Manly, Mary Jane Schmitt (2006). Components of Numeracy. NCSALL Occasional Paper. National Centre for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/op_numeracy.pdf
Ginsburg, Lynda and Myrna Manly, Mary Jane Schmitt, Kathy Chernus, Donna Fowler and Diane Gardner (2011). Building on Foundations for Success Guidelines for Improving Adult Mathematics Instruction. Adult Numeracy Instruction Project. Prepared by MPR Associates Inc. for the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/AdultNumeracyReportFinal2011.pdf
Iddo, Gal and Anke Grotluschen, Dave Tout and Gabriele Kaiser (2020), Numeracy, adult education, and vulnerable adults: a critical view of a neglected field. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11858-020-01155-9.pdf
SRDC. (2021). Research Report to Support the Launch of Skills for Success: Structure, Evidence and Recommendations. https://www.srdc.org/media/553148/sfs-srdc-final-report-en.pdf