Foras na Gaeilge funds ‘Izak9 as Gaeilge’ teaching and learning tool

Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. has officially launched a new Irish medium resource which improves children’s engagement in mathematics.

Izak9 - a set of 27 colourful cubes for use from third class to second year - is combined with extensive online support material to stimulate mathematical thinking, creativity and interaction while increasing confidence with numbers and calculations. It was designed primarily to assist pupil transition between the primary and secondary phases and has proven popular with pupils, teachers and education professionals.

Izak9 is being used in almost 1,000 schools on the island of Ireland.

Supported by Foras na Gaeilge, the all-new Izak9 support content encourages children to have fun learning maths through Irish.

‘Izak9 as Gaeilge’ was officially launched today by Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh at Scoil Neasáin, agaelscoil in Harmonstown, north Dublin.

Izak9 is a unique multi-media learning resource designed to stimulate mathematical thinking, creativity and interaction in primary and post primary school children (particularly children aged 8-12 years). As well as bringing play into the classroom, the innovative device is also a successful tool for the delivery of teacher training and professional development.

The product consists of 27 cubes with different combinations of colour, number and shape and can be used by schoolchildren of all abilities and across all curriculums through a series of interactive learning modules set out by colourful on-screen characters called Helix and Abacus.

Joint research published by Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast in the International Journal of Education Research found that children’s enjoyment of mathematics was boosted significantly by using Izak9 in the classroom.

An Education Authority NI study found Izak9 provides a “new stimulus” for teaching maths and numeracy in both primary and post primary classrooms.

For further reading in the efficacy of Izak9 please log on to http://www.izak9.com/efficacy#efficacy

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