When I was asked to review ‘Numero’ all I knewabout it was that it was a game. It duly arrived – apack of various cards, an instructor’s booklet and avideo showing you how to play.

Many games claim to be enjoyable for all ages‘from 8 to 80’ but this is the first one I have metwhich is not just playable, but also challenging, for awide age range. This is because there are variouslevels so that a five-year-old who can cope with therules can play with the basic set, whereas olderplayers can include a selection of other cards.

A basic set of Numero consists of sixty numbercards made up of 1 to 15 in four different colours.As well as these there are ‘wild cards’ which putother operations besides addition into the game,taking it beyond the first level. The first four ofthese ‘wild cards’ introduce subtraction, then comefour multiplication and four division cards. For themore advanced player here are thirteen fraction,decimal, or percentage cards and for those lookingfor a real challenge there are also square root, cuberoot, squared and cubed ones.

The most advanced level (to which I have notaspired) includes intricate scoring which replacesthe simple ‘most cards’ of the earlier levels.

First, I summoned an ex-primary teacher friendand together we watched the video and started toplay. It was good and absorbing. She remarked onhow you had to do many simple additions in yourhead and how useful this could be in school. Next Ishowed the game to a Scrabble-playing friend,Peter. He, too, found it enjoyable to play.

I taught Thomas (aged 8) at half term. He wasvery enthusiastic, found the video and watched it byhimself. He insisted that we went on to higherlevels. After a few games he pointed to a divisionsign and remarked, “I didn’t know what that meant– but I do now.” A month or so later we included

the square and square root cards. Thomas isbeginning to relate the symbols to a meaning. Hislittle brother Ben, aged 5, insisted on learning toplay. They are both now very enthusiastic. Thomas(not a good loser) summed it up: “It’s fun, and youenjoy it and you enjoy it so much that it doesn’tmatter if you win or not!” Ben’s mother remarkedthat he’s now a Numero fiend!

I know, and thought I understood, that theorder of operations can make a difference to thefinal answer, but one game we played certainlybrought this fact home. There was a ‘15’ card on thetable. If I used a ‘subtract 5’ card it became ‘10’. Ialso had the ‘subtract 2’ and ‘divide by 2’ cards. If Iused one of them first it became ‘4’, a card I did nothave in my hand, but if I used the other first I couldtake the whole lot with my ‘3’ card.

MATHEMATICS TEACHING 183 / JUNE 200312

NUMERO – A NUMERATEGAME Jenny Murray

Many games claim tobe enjoyable for all

ages ‘from 8 to 80’ butthis is the first one

I have met which is notjust playable, but also

challenging, for a wideage range.

Until September,Prim-Ed are offer-ing Numero Classpacks to ATMmembers at a10% discount ifthe reference ATMis quoted on theorder.

Please send any contributions to 2014@atm-mail.org.uk before 30 Jun 09

Please send any contributions to 2014@atm-mail.org.uk before 30 Jun 09

I needed more packs if I was to try out thecards in school. I decided to buy two more. Theywould make excellent presents for Thomas, Benand Peter! Armed with the three packs I went intotwo nearby primary schools.

The first school is very small. The head, whoteachers the older children (Years 3 and 4), came intoo, to learn how to play Numero. Three of thechildren began to play quickly by themselves, butothers took longer and still needed help when breakbegan. The next time I went into the school severalof the class clamoured excitedly, “Are we going toplay Numero again?” Much disappointment wasevident when I told them we were going to dosomething else.

Then I took Numero into the second school. Thehead was so eager for me to teach the game to theYear 3/4 teacher, that he taught her class while wetook six children into the staff room. Two girlsspeedily learnt to play, while, again, others tooklonger. Rebecca said, “It’s really cool! You don’teven notice that you are doing sums!”

Both teachers there who saw Numero in actionimmediately saw the potential of the game and saidthey thought it particularly worthwhile because ofthe motivation it produced. They were both verykeen to use it with their classes – please would Icome in again when they had bought some packsfor the school?

There are two main difficulties I can see aboutintroducing Numero for classroom use. The first isthe difficulty of teaching the game to everyone atthe same time and the second the cost of buyingenough packs of cards so that all can play at once.The game is best played in pairs because then eachplayer has more turns and so does more thinkingand more calculating.

Like most worthwhile games it does take a while

to learn to play Numero. The rules do take time toabsorb. The best way seems to be for a group of say,three pairs, to learn the rules. Then for them, firstly,to play a game in front of a new learner and then toplay with them. The wild cards, introducingsubtraction, multiplication and division could thenbe added as required.

Numero cards are quite expensive (see below).Class packs of fifteen individual sets work out atless. Personally, having seen (and experienced!) theenthusiasm with which players do mental calcula-tions I would have thought that any expense wouldbe justified. The CD or video showing you how toplay is essential, I think, if there is no human playerto get you going. However, there is quite a lot ofinformation on the Numero web site [1] including aPower Point presentation that could serve instead.

The website also has eulogies from teachers whoclaim to use the game for most of their numeracylessons. Certainly all KS2 classes, maths clubs etcshould have a few packs.

Mathematics can be great fun, challenging,mind-bending and completely absorbing. But thebits of mathematical information, like number facts,can be boring and tedious to learn and practise.What better way can there be than an interestinggame as a way of mastering them?

Jenny Murray is an independent mathematics consultant.

MATHEMATICS TEACHING 183 / JUNE 2003 13

NumeroPublished by Prim-EdPo Box 051NuneatonWarwickshire CV11 6ZUTelephone: 08708 760151Email: Sales@prim-ed.comSingle packs: £7.93including VATClass sets (containing 15individual Numero packs,instruction guide, posterand video): £105.69including VAT

Reference1 www.numero.org for

information about thegamewww.prim-ed.com forsales

Ben (aged 5): “If you double 13 and take away 9,you get 17, don’t you Mummy?”Mother: “Yes, that’s right.”Ben: “I’m good at sums now, aren’t I, Mummy?”Mother: “Yes, you are.”Ben: “It’s all Jenny’s fault! She showed us thatNumero game. You learn, even if you are justwatching it!”

With thanks to the pupilsof Dennington CEVCPSchool, Suffolk and SnapeCP School, Suffolk.

Please send any contributions to 2014@atm-mail.org.uk before 30 Jun 09

Please send any contributions to 2014@atm-mail.org.uk before 30 Jun 09

The attached document has been downloaded or otherwise acquired from the website of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) at www.atm.org.uk

Legitimate uses of this document include printing of one copy for personal use, reasonable duplication for academic and educational purposes. It may not be used for any other purpose in any way that may be deleterious to the work, aims, principles or ends of ATM.

Neither the original electronic or digital version nor this paper version, no matter by whom or in what form it is reproduced, may be re-published, transmitted electronically or digitally, projected or otherwise used outside the above standard copyright permissions. The electronic or digital version may not be uploaded to a website or other server. In addition to the evident watermark the files are digitally watermarked such that they can be found on the Internet wherever they may be posted.

Any copies of this document MUST be accompanied by a copy of this page in its entirety.

If you want to reproduce this document beyond the restricted permissions here, then application MUST be made for EXPRESS permission to copyright@atm.org.uk

The work that went into the research, production and preparation of this document has to be supported somehow. ATM receives its financing from only two principle sources: membership subscriptions and sales of books, software and other resources.

Membership of the ATM will help you through

• Six issues per year of a professional journal, which focus on the learning and teaching of maths. Ideas for the classroom, personal experiences and shared thoughts about developing learners’ understanding.

• Professional development courses tailored to your needs. Agree the content with us and we do the rest.

• Easter conference, which brings together teachers interested in learning and teaching mathematics, with excellent speakers and workshops and seminars led by experienced facilitators.

• Regular e-newsletters keeping you up to date with developments in the learning and teaching of mathematics. • Generous discounts on a wide range of publications and software. • A network of mathematics educators around the United Kingdom to share good practice or ask advice. • Active campaigning. The ATM campaigns at all levels towards: encouraging increased understanding and enjoyment of mathematics; encouraging increased understanding of how people learn mathematics; encouraging the sharing and evaluation of teaching and learning strategies and practices; promoting the exploration of new ideas and possibilities and initiating and contributing to discussion of and developments in mathematics education at all levels.

• Representation on national bodies helping to formulate policy in mathematics education. • Software demonstrations by arrangement. Personal members get the following additional benefits: • Access to a members only part of the popular ATM website giving you access to sample materials and up to date information.

• Advice on resources, curriculum development and current research relating to mathematics education. • Optional membership of a working group being inspired by working with other colleagues on a specific project. • Special rates at the annual conference • Information about current legislation relating to your job. • Tax deductible personal subscription, making it even better value Additional benefits The ATM is constantly looking to improve the benefits for members. Please visit www.atm.org.uk regularly for new details.

LINK: www.atm.org.uk/join/index.html