Let's Count FAQ

At The Smith Family, we believe that education is one of the world’s most powerful change agents. That’s why we focus on helping young Australians to overcome educational inequality caused by poverty.

As a national, independent charity, every day we work with thousands of children and their families to help them unlock better futures for themselves.

With programs in 91 communities across Australia, our holistic approach for a child's education involves the child, their parents, the school, and community and creates the best chance of overcoming intergenerational disadvantage. Further information about The Smith Family is available here.

Our range of programs, that cover preschool to post school years, improve the educational and learning outcomes for children/young people by providing support, resources and creating opportunities.

A. Let's Count is an early mathematics program designed to assist early years educators and community professionals in early childhood contexts to work in partnership with parents and other family members to promote positive mathematical experiences for young children (3-5 years). The program aims to foster opportunities for children to engage with the mathematics encountered as part of their everyday lives, talk about it, document it, and explore it in ways that are fun and relevant to them.

A. Let's Count involves professional learning that aims for early years educators and community professionals to engage with parents and family members to support them to encourage their children’s mathematical learning by Noticing, Exploring and Talking About Mathematics in Everyday Life.

A. Yes, Let’s Count is a fully evaluated program. The Smith Family conducted an evaluation over a 3-year period in four communities and multiple early learning and care settings.

Surveys and interviews were conducted with educators and parent/carers, and a Maths Assessment interview undertaken with children who participated in Let’s Count and a baseline group to compare against, of children who did not participate.

The key findings were, for children who participated in Let’s Count there were statistically significant improvements.

A. Yes, the online pilot included an evaluation, which was conducted by Monash University, Peridot Education and Charles Sturt University. It showed that Let’s Count Online has the same benefits of the face-to-face program.

A. Yes, it’s aligned with the EYLF. It provides early years educators and community professionals with the skills and resources to facilitate children’s learning. Early years educators and community professionals can then actively promote these skills to parents and children in their settings in collaboration with children, parents and families.

Let’s Count also reflects the recent 2023 updates to the EYLF following consultation with the sector and community covering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, Sustainability and Collaborative leadership and teamwork.

A. Let’s Count can contribute to professional development hours required by teachers and educators who qualify. Please access your State Department of Education sites.

• 1-2 weeks to complete Online Session 1 (self-paced): each of the topics will take 45 -60 mins to complete so the actual online learning material will take approximately 2.5 – 3 hours of your time.
• 4-6 weeks' implementation period
• 2 hours to attend Online Session 2