Numeracy and Mathematics

Running Head: NUMERACY AND MATHEMATICS
Numeracy and Mathematics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1NUMERACY AND MATHEMATICS
In numerous situations, learning measurements and computations can help in covering
skills, behaviour and disposition by applying the tools of mathematics. This is because
students are required to be mathematically competent (Ausraliancurriculum.edu.au., 2018).
Mathematics is the field of study dealing with measurements and numbers. Dealing with
concept that are difficult can also be made easier using mathematics. Numeracy is a newly
introduced term which is used widely with mathematics (Irwin, Baker & Carter, 2018). Brief
description about the concepts of mathematics and numeracy with their similarities and
differences will be discussed in this assignment. For a clearer understanding of the concepts,
examples will be used which will describe the application of mathematics and numeracy in
the real life.
The specialized field of study which involves the use of numbers and different
specialized operations is known as mathematics. Mathematics helps people to deal with
quantities much more easily (Whitehead, 2017). Mathematical symbols and operations help
to understand easily the different concepts of speed, velocity, time etc. These are known as
applied mathematics. Pure mathematics mostly deals with symbols and signs more than
numbers (Ostrowski, 2016). There are many subfields of mathematics. These are arithmetic,
algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, statistics etc. All these concepts are helpful in
learning the everyday situations that take place. Mathematics is thus an abstract thinking of
experiences and its generalizations (Wang, 2016).
Numeracy is a newly coined term. The concept has been developed to deal with the
mathematical concepts in daily life using basic skills and competencies (Goos, Vale &
Stillman, 2017). Different people have different opinions and some people think that
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are the basic concepts. To some other
people, the concept of numeracy is more fundamental than these basic mathematical concepts
(Karaali, Villafane Hernandez & Taylor, 2016). Numeracy is the method in which

2NUMERACY AND MATHEMATICS
mathematics is approached (Khan & Mason, 2015). Numeracy involves a learning which is
cross cultural. It is also more coherent and involves thinking which is logical and can be
applied to several curriculums (Kaye, 2015). With the help of the concepts of numeracy, the
number systems and its computation skills becomes easy and thus it helps in solving
problems (australiancurriculum.edu, 2018). Moreover, presentation of the data with the help
of charts, graphs and diagrams also comes under numeracy (Parnis & Petocz, 2016).
These two concepts of mathematics and numeracy are hugely interrelated, yet there
are some differences between the two. The study of mathematics involves numbers, space
and concepts that relate two different characteristics of the same object (McNally, 2015).
Mathematics can help in solving complex problems of different fields of study. There exist
no scientific subjects that can be understood without the help of basic mathematical concepts
of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division (Purpura & Reid, 2016). Numeracy, on
the other hand, is the application of mathematics in different situations (Winn & Brady,
2015). The concepts of numeracy can thus be used in everyday life as well along with the
concepts of mathematics (Scotland, 2015). Hence, considering the similarities, it can be said
that there is involvement of numbers to both the concepts of mathematics and numeracy and
both can be applied in the daily life events.
There are various daily life events in which mathematics can be applied. One such
example can be explained with grocery shopping. Both mathematics and numeracy concepts
can be applied in the event of grocery shopping. At the time of shopping, price per unit of the
products, weight of the products, calculating the price of the goods when discount percentage
is given, estimating the price that has to be paid finally are all application of mathematics in
grocery shopping (Howell & Hopkins, 2017). On the other hand, before starting to shop, a
budget is generally fixed such that all the shopping should not exceed the estimated budget.
The number of units of the goods that has to be bought so that the final price remains within