Let’s visit Numberland Zambia

In April 2021, the Let’s visit Numberland Zambia project started at the Destiny’s Child School and Community Centre in Lusaka.

The positive impact on teachers and children alike was tremendous so that in July 2021, another training with 22 teachers followed to establish Numberland in other zones of Lusaka.

Community schools in Zambia do not receive any government funding but rely on their neighbourhood which is challenging, especially during Covid. The bigger the need for a concept like Let’s visit Numberland: an easy going, yet efficient didactic concept that can be done with any self-made resources, thus allowing teaching and learning using locally available resources (TALULAR approach).

This article lets you participate in this exciting and heart warming project. It is constantly being updated chronologically with the latest news on this.

Enjoy! And if you are interested in such a project yourself, please do get in touch.

Let’s visit Numberland kick-off training

It all started in April 2021, when Destiny’s Child School and Community Centre got in touch with Barbara Schindelhauer for a first teacher training on Let’s visit Numberland.

In that school, early education specialist Lea Eichenberger working for the Swiss organisation Comundo, supports the teachers in fulfilling the Zambian syllabus. Problems with meeting the maths objectives had been identified and Numberland seemed just right.

Immediately after our cheerful training, the teachers made the Numberland resources: houses, a Number Lane, dolls, earth worms.

First ever trip to Numberland Zambia

(May 17, 2021) Big children’s eyes when visiting the numbers in their Numberland homes for the very first time!

Maths as a role play?!

(May 22, 2021) As teachers and children are becoming increasingly familiar with the new way of learning through play, for the first time ever role play is being introduced to teaching maths!

The stories from the original Numberland handbook were adapted to Zambia and turned into role plays!

Enjoy having a look at how Number Four who is feeling sick is cured with a very special tea. And how the children are celebrating Number Five’s birthday with a fab cake and a birthday song…

Number Four has a headache and a fever … Teacher Kaunda knows that Four needs a very special tea that has to be made from 4 different herbs and with some more details. After 4 sips, Number Four is fine again! Hurray!

Today is Number Five’s birthday! The children prepare a magnificent mud cake and decorate it with much love for details. They bring it over to Number Five’s home and an overwhelmed Number Five listens to the birthday song the children chant for her.

How is it going? A workshop

(June 4, 2021) We got together online to reflect on the first experiences with Numberland and to share some additional ideas.

With a big smile, the nursery and reception teachers reported how positively Numberland had changed their way of teaching maths. Soon they had learned to ask open questions and to challenge their children to reason why for example a triangle would be Number Three’s garden. Play had naturally become a way of teaching and teachers and children alike were very much enjoying it.

We found solutions for some minor organisational challenges and shared some more ideas: How to plant and water onions in the flowerbeds (or do you see pebbles in a 5frame?). Or how to plant onions alongside Number Lane and meet the challenge that some of the tiles may be turned upside down …

Numberland teacher training for 20 Community School Teachers from all over Lusaka

(July 15, 2021) The ongoing children’s motivation and success triggered the wish to make Numberland available to other community schools. So in cooperation with the Motherbody of Community Schools in Lusaka, a full day workshop was organised despite Covid and a very tight budget.

20 teachers from other community schools from all over Lusaka gathered at Destiny’s Child School for a workshop held by Barbara Schindelhauer and Lea Eichenberger. Two teachers took their colleagues through a visit to Number Four – with all it takes, including a bandaid around the head for sick Number Four .-)

Spirits were high and each of the seven schools went home with a self-made Numberland starter pack and a detailed handout.

Getting started

(August 2021) Following another unfortunate Corona lockdown, schools finally reopened.

We are now putting together a WhatsApp group to support each other and share our experiences. This is going to be great!

Stay tuned …

Meanwhile, you may also enjoy reading about a new Numberland project evolving in Malawi. It came into being through word of mouth from Lusaka.

Or read about Numberland in Malaysia, where people of the Orang Aslan tribe unveil their joy in learning and teaching.
Links to these articles to follow soon.