Edel Connolly Philadelphia, USA 1 July 2008 ALM -15 CONFERENCE Edel Connolly Philadelphia, USA 1 July 2008

Adults Learning Mathematics A Declaration of Numeracy Empowering Adults through Mathematics Education

Home School Community Liaison Scheme established in 1992 at Secondary Level built on the theory and practice of partnership parents, teachers and community agents as partners in education

Home School Community Liaison Scheme - Aims to raise awareness in parents of their own capacities to enhance their children's educational progress and to assist them in developing relevant skills

Home School Community Liaison Scheme Establishing such partnerships involves: home visitation by the Home School Community Liaison Coordinator provision of a comfortable milieu such as a Parents Room

Home School Community Liaison Scheme - Classes & Courses curricular areas - allowing parents to help and support their children with school work personal development aspects of educational development from basic literacy to certificate examination subjects and diploma courses

Home School Community Liaison Scheme - Classes & Courses 1997 OECD study, Parents as Partners in Schooling, referred to the Home School Community Liaison Scheme as: ...educational initiatives based in schools can raise the educational level of the adults involved, and result in a general sense of empowerment in the local community. Parental involvement, especially in areas of socio-economic deprivation, does not just benefit the children and the school - it is a crucial aspect of lifelong learning.

Home School Community Liaison Scheme – Disadvantaged Status Urban Schools Unemployed Medical card Local authority housing Lone parent Mother’s education Father’s education

Fun Maths for Parents - Aims to allow the parents an opportunity to engage in a variety of mathematical activities to take the fear out of mathematics as a subject to make mathematics more accessible, practical, and enjoyable

Fun Maths for Parents - Aims entice parents to look to other methodologies of helping their daughters in their approach and attitude to the subject at home a positive experience for all concerned

Fun Maths for Parents - Parents identified with Home School Community Liaison Coordinator spent their young adult life at a great distance from formal and informal education

Fun Maths for Parents - Parents expressed reluctance, negativity and a total lack of confidence in their abilities with regard to mathematics target parent-group...cross the school threshold to take part in a learning programme in a subject deemed by them to be terrifying and alienating

Fun Maths for Parents – Action Project HSCL discussed the idea with the parents Invited into the Parents Room to meet Outline changes to the mathematics syllabus at Junior Certificate level focus that the Department of Education and Science wished to place upon mathematics as a more practical and accessible subject

Fun Maths for Parents – Games Monkeys and Bananas Odds & Evens (card game)

Fun Maths for Parents – Games Dice Numbers

Fun Maths for Parents – Games Countdown

Fun Maths for Parents – Games I have…Who has…? Who has this number plus 7? I have 10 Who has this number minus 1?

Fun Maths for Parents – Games Calculator Words 0.7734 710.77345 35006 0.40404

Fun Maths for Parents – Games Board Game

Fun Maths for Parents – Set Up Game 2 Game 3 Game 1

Fun Maths for Parents – Award

Fun Maths for Parents – Recommendations to introduce the programme throughout the school year and include all of the First Year classes financially disadvantaged, but also educationally disadvantaged to continue with Fun Maths for Parents into Second Year