Using the scaffolding numeracy in the middle years assessment materials to support student learning

The SNMY Project focussed on the efficacy of an assessment-guided approach to improving student outcomes in numeracy in Years 4-8. The project was prompted by previous research (e.g., Siemon, Virgona & Corneille, 2001), which identified an 'eight-year' range in student mathematical achievement in any one year level in the middle years of schooling, and highlighted the critical importance of finding ways to address the learning needs of at-risk students. This research found that student difficulty in numeracy was primarily characterised by an inability to engage in multiplicative thinking (Siemon & Virgona, 2001). As a consequence, the SNMY Project was aimed at developing and validating an evidence-based Learning and Assessment Framework for Multiplicative Thinking (LAF) and examining the extent to which student learning could be enhanced by more targeted teaching approaches