Australian numeracy screener for Foundation and Year 1
Creating a validated numeracy screener to support early maths learning for Foundation and Year 1 students across Australia.
Professor Rebecca Bull is part of a research team (led by Kelly Norris and Glenn Fahey at the Centre for Independent Studies) working on a new research project to develop an early numeracy screening tool. As part of a new set of school funding agreements, all Australian governments have agreed to implement a numeracy screening check for the early years (Foundation and/or Year 1).
An effective screening tool would be efficient to use for all students, generate reliable data, and directly inform teaching practice by flagging students who may be at risk of developing mathematics difficulties. However, there was no such tool available validated through research with Australian students learning Australian curriculum. This new project aims to change that, by developing a tool that ticks all the boxes from research, while being efficient and usable in schools.
The screening tool is based on three core aspects of number competency in the early years that are predictive of future mathematics success, known collectively as ‘number sense’:
- numbers (including counting, saying, reading and writing numbers)
- number relations (comparing and understanding numbers in terms of ‘more’ and ‘less’)
- number operations (understanding and facility with addition and subtraction).
The Early Numeracy Screening tool is being trialled throughout 2025 – at the first wave of testing in Term 1, the screening tool was used by approximately 500 teachers from 115 schools to screen 6000 students. The screening tool will be validated against standardised achievement tests to ensure it generates valid and reliable data to identify students who may be at risk of difficulties in learning mathematics. We welcome new schools to participate in the project.
Learn more about the early numeracy screener, or contact maths@cis.org.au for more information.