Embedded numeracy teaching in carpentry course

These Carpentry students are confidently literate and numerate out on the job as the result of an explicit and deliberate programme of integrating literacy and numeracy into every aspect of their learning.

Students regularly focus on the numeracy which is required for the current on-site project.

Key Content

Every week these carpentry students from Whitireia Community Polytechnic spend an hour practicing the numeracy they need to accomplish their current practical projects. Measurement, geometry and trigonometry make sense in a practical context. Their tutor normalizes numeracy, gets them to talk numbers accurately, use numbers and self-check calculations against estimates confidently, all before they formally start work on a Numeracy Unit Standard.

Things To Think About

• How has the tutor in this clip built students confidence in numeracy?
• How might I introduce numeracy or literacy concepts ahead of working on an actual unit standard?
• What literacy and numeracy concepts and skills should I focus on as a follow up to which pieces of practical work?