“What is Numicon” by Louise Pennington
What is Numicon?
Numicon is a way to teach mathematics based on a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach. It uses structured imagery and manipulatives to help children explore and understand mathematical concepts. The manipulatives used by Numicon include a well-known set of shapes to represent numbers. These shapes highlight the properties of numbers and number relationships and when arranged in a structured pattern (as below) the structure of the number system is exposed, e.g. we can see, and prove, that the number system goes up in increments of one and that the numbers alternate between odd and even.
Numicon is so much more than these plastic pieces however, but they are integral to Numicon’s success in countries all over the world!
‘Numicon’ refers to an approach to teaching mathematics which utilises these shapes and other manipulatives, to make maths real and tangible.
The ‘Numicon Approach’ to teaching mathematics is detailed here:
Numicon comprises of teaching materials (both printed and digital), manipulatives including Numicon shapes and Cuisenaire rods, digital and face to face professional development and an award winning online interactive whiteboard software. You can find out more about these different elements via the Numicon webpage:
Numicon, Primary School Maths Resources
Who is Numicon for?
Numicon is for all children regardless of ability, it both supports and challenges children to access maths just beyond their current reach. Numicon currently offers activities and lessons for children in the 4- 12 age range, but it is used for intervention and support for older children too. When children engage in mathematical problems or questions, using Numicon manipulatives, teachers can see children’s thinking by watching and listening. It helps children to then communicate mathematically and leads them to reason, conjecture and justify more readily.
Getting Started with Numicon
When working with young children, it is easy to get started with Numicon. You can simply add Numicon shapes to play activities such as sand and water and to the outside environment for children to explore and find out about. This familiarity leads to engagement with early maths concepts such as colour, size, bigger/ smaller and pattern. Then counting and number recognition.
When working with primary aged children who are ready for more formal activities, there are familiarisation activities at the beginning of the teaching resources for each age group, such as:
Model putting the Numicon shapes in an ascending staircase from one to ten.
Ask children which piece comes next and what they notice about the ‘staircase’ pattern.
3. Ask children which piece comes next and what they notice about the ‘staircase’ pattern.
4. Ask the children to open their eyes and tell you which Numicon shape is missing and how they know. E.g. It could be that they know it is yellow or the number three. Or even that it is an odd number.
5. Then ask the children to find it from a separate pile and complete the staircase.
When children are familiar with Numicon manipulatives, it really can be used for teaching so many maths concepts. In this photograph, nine and ten year old children have been working in pairs with Numicon shapes and pegs and the Numicon approach to explore mixed numbers and improper fractions.
Oxford Owl is Oxford University Press’s platform for Home and School, and it contains a lot of free information and resources, accessible without a paid for subscription. It is also where schools can access paid for content for Numicon including the teaching resources, some professional development and the award-winning Numicon Interactive Whiteboard Software.
You searched for numicon - Oxford Owl for Home this link gives you 4 pages of Links on Oxford Owl relating to Numicon- pages, blogs, activities and links to paid for and free resources. On Page 2 you’ll find some printable Numicon shapes, free to download, which you can use to get started- if you don’t yet have any Numicon shapes.
If you are a parent (or a teacher) new to Numicon this handy guide gives you some information about what Numicon is. You can also find free activities and links to videos from Oxford University Press on this page Numicon guide for parents - Oxford Owl for Home
If you want to find out what research say about Numicon or hear from schools about the impact of Numicon on teaching and learning, then this page contains further information and links: Numicon Case Studies and Research : Primary: Oxford University Press
Oxford Education - YouTube This link takes you to the Numicon Playlist on the Oxford Education YouTube Channel. Here you will find video walk throughs of Numicon products, ‘how to’ videos, some short activity overviews and much, much more.
Oxford University Press also have a Numicon Facebook page and there is a lot of content on X (formerly Twitter) from myself, Oxford University Press and many schools, usually with the #Numicon hashtag, that you can search for.
I hope that you have found this blog and the podcast episode useful. Oxford University Press and I would love to see your Numicon related work on social media!
You can connect with Oxford University Press here:
LinkedIn: (9) Oxford University Press: Posts | LinkedIn
X: @OUPPrimary
You can connect with me here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/louise-pennington-fcct-4700517a
X: @pdLouiseP
BlueSky: @pdLouisep
Louise Pennington
Head of Professional Development
Oxford University Press
