Number and two languages in the Early Years: report on a project with paraprofessional indigenous teachers in two NT North East Arnhem Yolŋu schools

This paper will report on findings from a NTDET pilot project to improve numeracy outcomes for Indigenous students through work with indigenous paraprofessionals in teaching number (one Strand of mathematics).  It will focus on the role of language and issues associated with identifying appropriate language for instruction for 5 foundational Maths ideas in the Early Years of schooling.  The project (Strong Literacy and Numeracy in Communities – Numeracy Component) had  two broader goals, first to develop and trial a professional learning model to build capacity of teaching teams and secondly to create a resource to support this. Only two of the project sites are considered here. Both are in Yolŋu communities in North East Arnhem Land, where English is not widely used for interaction. Most children come to school as Djambarrpuyŋu speakers with very little English.  In the early years much of the emphasis is on the use of first language, Djambarrpuyŋu, for the children's concept development.  The English language that can be used is determined by what is possible for early second language learners.  We will share some samples of the first language identified for teaching these early number ideas. We will also discuss a number of issues that arose including expectations in curriculum documents regarding the use of particular English Maths language e.g. comparative language; choosing between language engineering or borrowing, and the process of identifying suitable expressions for the key ideas in both languages.  The project shows how 'Maths' lessons are a time both for concept development and for language development.