On Nov. 14 and 15, a group of kindergarten teachers and SSTs attended a two-day numeracy workshop led by Julie Houle. Houle is a pedagogical consultant in elementary mathematics for the Lester B. Pearson School Board in Montreal. Through a funded partnership with Concordia University in Montreal, she designed and constructed the Numeracy Kit for Kindergarten 5-year-olds (NyKK-5).

During the workshop, Houle discussed the latest research in numeracy and provided teachers with tools for everyday classroom use. Teachers left with materials ready to implement the next day in their classrooms, along with methods to assess foundational skills in number sense development.

The teachers who attended rated the workshop 4.9 out of 5 and shared positive feedback. One teacher said: “This was one of the best PDs I have ever attended. I appreciated the practicality of it, the generosity of the kit being provided, and all activities were ready to go. I was able to implement a short lesson the following school day with minimal prep.”

Because the session was so well received, a second one has been planned for the first week of April.