Implementing Number Agility is cyclical, the cycle begins with an assessment which is completed at the beginning of the school year and at the end of each term. This allows teachers to adapt instruction and respond to changing student needs. Following the Number Agility cycle teachers will be able to implement a program to build strong number sense.

The Number Agility Assessment

Students complete the number agility assessment appropriate to their grade or skill level. The assessment looks at students ability to count, subitize, work with different types of numbers, represent numbers, and understand number relationships. While it is recommended to start with the grade level students are currently in some students may need to be adjusted up or down depending on their skill level.

Score The Assessment

Once students have completed the assessment teachers will score them using the Learner Profiles and making notes about each student’s strengths and areas for growth. The learner profiles provide detailed information about student’s skills. Once the individual profiles have been created, the class profile can be completed. The class profile will give the big picture data of what students have mastered and where additional support is needed.

Determine Starting Points

Using the assessment scores teachers are able to determine where to begin instruction. This may include whole class and small group instruction depending on the group. Generally teachers will determine the whole class starting point and provide additional support or extension in small groups for those that need it. Students should begin with a review of mastered skills before moving on to new material.

Choose Number Sense Building Activities

Once teachers have determined starting points for the whole class or small groups they can choose activities to support the learning goals. Activities could include the Number Agility Daily Work Outs completed as a class and number sense routines from a variety of sources. These activities should be selected and sequenced to build student skills while being engaging for students.

Implement Number Sense Building Activities

Once activities have been selected teachers can implement them in the classroom, weaving number sense routines into daily activities. Formative assessment is on going during this phase allowing the activities to be tailored to the students and build upon previously mastered skills.

Using the Number Agility cycle allows teachers to respond to growth in student number sense and adapt instruction accordingly.