Active Early Numeracy in Africa -project is funded by Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (GINTL).
The “Active early numeracy in Africa” project will produce new scientific knowledge by investigating the development dynamics of early numeracy and motor skills learning among young African children. There is a growing learning crisis in African countries, thus targeted instruction and structured cost-effective pedagogy strategies are needed.
To answer this, we develop and test the effectiveness of 8-week interventions (combined early numeracy and motor skills, motor skills, and an early numeracy intervention) with 180 children aged 5-6 years, who are performing low in early numeracy, to prevent mathematical learning difficulties. We control individual variation in executive function, language, and socioeconomic variables. We collect a longitudinal sample with 600 children, measuring early numeracy, motor, language, executive functions skills, and physical activity.
Based on the results, and with our teacher-researcher ecosystem, we develop open-access materials and support for teachers and other stakeholders, related to early numeracy learning and learning difficulties in Africa.
The first measurement point including measures of early numeracy, language skills, and fundamental motor skills was started in the spring of 2023 in South Africa.
University of Helsinki
Principal investigator Pirjo Aunio