DR PAUL SWAN, Maths Specialist (2017)
“I met Frank Drysdale, the inventor of Numero®, some 25 years ago. I was impressed by both the simplicity and the complexity of the game. Using the same deck of cards, children in the one class could be working on addition and subtractions, others on all four operations, while still others on fractions and decimals or squares and square roots. That is true differentiation!
Now, so many years later, Numero® has stood the test of time, with hundreds of thousands of children having played and benefited from playing Numero® on a regular basis. Numero® has even been the subject of a university study and numerous articles, videos and competitions (newspaper and teams).
What makes this story even more amazing is that Frank had early onset Alzheimer’s disease and designed the game to be played with his grandchildren. Profits from the game still flow to Alzheimer’s WA.
I was honoured when asked to write this endorsement, and I was pleased to hear that Julie Richards (Frank’s daughter) is continuing to teach and promote Numero®. Julie is an accomplished teacher in her own right, but she has a special affinity for Numero®. I hope to be asked to write another review when Numero® is still going strong at 50!”
MR STEVE WATTS, Deputy Principal, Manning Primary School (2018)
“Numero® is a mathematics game in its purest sense. It teaches speed of all four operations and is directly applicable to improving student results across all areas of maths. It is easy to forget, in this creative curriculum, the importance of speed and efficiency, but it does play an important role.
I find that with my enrichment class, who also double as the Numero® group, that their processing skills have greatly improved since playing the game.
I believe my students’ favourite element of the game is the progression of skills and how sometimes abstract notions of mixed numerals, etc, can have a practical application. I have to admit, it did make some of my fractions and indices lessons more relevant. When the competitive nature of students comes to the fore, they certainly are more motivated. On a side note, it is nice to see maths students being recognised as ambassadors of their school when they represent at interschool competitions.”
MS MARGARET YOUNG, Retired Teacher (2018)
“I was very honoured to be asked to endorse Numero®. My association with Numero® goes back around 15 years when my class was involved in Doctorate research involving mental maths. This research clearly showed that quick sessions of play over a 6 month period showed a very clearly marked improvement in skills.
On moving to Excelsior Primary School as a foundation member, Numero® was introduced. As it grew in popularity it became a whole school initiative. The effect was amazing as we entered the Numero® interschool competition. At times, 40 to 50 children would be trying out for a position on the development squad and young children would follow me across the playground telling me how much they loved Numero® and wanted to play for us in the squad. The positive attitude towards maths was obvious.
Excelsior PS went onto a 5 year reign as state champions. This was due partly to the willingness of teachers to introduce the game with age and ability appropriate level cards, which could be tailored for individual groups in the same class, and the keenness and dedication of children who played in class, and who used the four operations, fractions, indices and so on mentally, and with great fluency.
Although I have now retired, I still hope to be involved with promoting Numero® whenever I get the opportunity.”
DR NATHAN (NORM) HOFFMAN, Retired Teacher; Former Director, WA Mathematics Problem Solving Program; Former Superintendent of Mathematics, Education Department of WA (2019)
“I’m pleased to find out that Numero® is still being played by students in schools. Numero® gives students the opportunity to practise and consolidate their number skills in an enjoyable way. It is a wonderful educational game.”
DR JACK BANA, MAWA Student Activities Coordinator (2019)
“I am delighted to have this opportunity to endorse IETPL and its Director, Julie Richards, who is the daughter of the inventor of Numero®. One would naturally expect Julie to be very enthusiastic about Numero® as she has good reason to promote it, but this enthusiasm is very well justified.
My introduction to this amazing maths aid was in a workshop at the Biennial Conference of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers held in Darwin in 1995, after it was just published. I was most impressed then, and my admiration for this maths aid has only continued to grow. I have attended several of Julie’s workshops at annual conferences of the Mathematical Association of WA (MAWA). Julie is an accomplished teacher and a very skilled presenter. The impressed teachers who attend then go away with the intention of securing this aid for number work in their own classrooms.
I have seen students using Numero® in a number of classrooms, where it is most satisfying to see that they are so engaged using the cards in the relevant activities. At the same time, the students are clearly learning number concepts and skills in such a fun way.
It is no exaggeration to declare that Numero® is one of the best number aids available. MAWA, which only sells material that it recommends, is pleased to be on-selling Numero®.
MRS TRISH GREEN, Teacher (2019)
“Julie is an amazing educator and truly passionate about introducing Numero to all generations of learners. Her ability to ‘make maths fun’ is what sets her and IET apart from other professional development educators and teachers. If you only do one PD next year or introduce only one maths activity then make it Numero® . Well done and thanks for your continued support of our kids development and interest in Maths.”
