Would it be necessary for children to have used Numicon at the Foundation stage first, or could we start a group/class at the next level?
It is not necessary for children to have used Numicon at foundation stage first BUT it is necessary for children of any age to have the opportunity to experiment Numicon Shapes before they use them in their maths work. They also need to be competent with the basic Foundation or Closing the Gap activities before moving onto the calculating work in Kits 1 and 2, however for most children in Year 2 and above (aged 7 up) this will not take long. In practice, what this means is that they should be able to put the Shapes in order of size, give the Shapes number names and attaching a numeral to each, be able to arrange objects into the Numicon patterns (without counting), be able to combine Numicon Shapes to show addition and compare them in subtraction whilst using the appropriate mathematical language for addition and subtraction. Where children are having difficulties with maths and with acquiring basic understanding, the assessment signposts booklet, included in Kits 1 and 2, is designed
