MORE than 14,000 children across Victoria, including preschoolers in Frankston, will have the opportunity to become maths masters thanks to The Smith Family’s early maths program called Let’s Count.
The program, funded by a $542,000 state government grant, will see 16 early childhood educators from Frankston early learning centres help children and parents use maths every day.
Victorian Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos met some of the educators and families at Frankston Preschool last Tuesday, alongside The Smith Family’s Victorian general manager Anton Leschen and Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke.
“This exciting and very welcome investment by the Victorian Government will mean thousands of Victorian children can be supported to develop their maths skills from an early age,” Mr Leschen said. “Many parents lack confidence in maths and don’t realise how much fun, and how easy, it can be to find maths in the everyday.
“At The Smith Family, we’re really concerned that one in four children living in our most disadvantaged communities starts school without basic skills, including numeracy.
The Smith Family, together with Charles Sturt University Professor Bob Perry and Monash University Associate Professor Ann Gervasoni developed Let’s Count.
A four-year partnership with the Origin Foundation enabled the program to reach nearly 13,000 children, almost 7000 parents and 450 educators in disadvantaged communities nationally.
See thesmithfamily.com.au for further details of the Let’s Count program.