Teachers, parents, and administrators know that the education system is under stress and the situation does not seem to be getting any better. Meanwhile, one particular education provider is bringing things back to basics when it comes to the development of Literacy and Numeracy skills in Australia.
Julie Christophers had been a teacher for 25 years. She trained as a literacy and numeracy specialist, which led to a range of roles including support teacher, working with children with special needs, and twice as an Acting Principal.
In 2016, Julie left teaching, disillusioned with a curriculum that had become so overcrowded, that students were no longer afforded the time to consolidate their understandings.
“Even with my years of experience, I didn’t feel I was able to make a positive difference anymore.”
“Later that year, I accepted a position to manage the Ashgrove Centre of a company called NumberWorks’nWords. Within the first week, I was absolutely blown away! Students were engaged, excited and enthusiastic about learning and the results they were achieving in every lesson, confirmed to me that this was what I had been missing!”
I remember thinking, “If every classroom could look like this, education would be revolutionised in Australia.”
Clayfield and Mount Gravatt
After a few months, Julie was so convinced that she and her husband invested in opening a NumberWorks’nWords in Clayfield which then led to opening another in Mt Gravatt a few years later.
“It’s just been so rewarding because I can see the immediate difference we are making.”
What makes it different?
Whilst the education system, even in the private sector, struggles to get the ratio of students per teacher to less than 1:25, the NumberWorks’nWords ratio is 1:3.
Every child works on their own individualised and tailored lesson plans. The proprietary software is an incredible resource, much like a dynamic textbook of modelled examples and interactive learning opportunities, but the most important difference is that every child has the support of a tutor in the teachable moments.
“The key difference our system offers is that the students need to prove they have mastered what they are working on before they move onto the next concept, skill or level. Schools simply can’t afford the time to do this for every child and in the classroom there are few resources to help individual students catch up.”
Julie’s two centres have produced a long list of great stories, like the Grade 9 boy who had failed Maths and English for many years at school. After one term at NumberWorks’nWords, he passed both subjects. By the second term, he averaged B- and by the third term, he got an A in an assignment, something his parents could not believe.
NumberWorks’nWords specialises in Maths and English tuition for children aged Prep to Year 10. Whether students are requiring intensive catch up, support to keep up or challenging extension, NumberWorks’nWords helps them achieve their goals.
Free Assessment
NumberWorks’nWords Mount Gravatt offers a free assessment for new students. The software is used to compile a baseline report reflecting how the student is tracking against the curriculum.
“The assessment allows us to identify individual needs, which we can then explain in a detailed report for parents during the evaluation session.”
Julie is currently running a monthly competition on Mount Gravatt News where all entrants receive the free assessment plus the first lesson free, with no further obligation. It runs during the last 10 days of each month, look out for it.
Julie also writes a column offering support and advice for parents to help their children get the best educational outcomes.
“It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a child’s confidence returns when they know they have the support they need.”
Julie’s passion and indeed NumberWorks’nWords mission, is to make a positive difference in the lives of children. The results in her Clayfield and Mt Gravatt centres are speaking for themselves.
NumberWorks’nWords Mount Gravatt is a proud Promotional Partner of Mount Gravatt News.
