The following article is adapted from the report produced by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The report is based on a focused literature search undertaken to identify and present findings from local and international research relevant to teaching, learning and using mathematics in the 21st century. It focuses on the characteristics of effective numeracy teaching and addresses key classroom issues including: what to teach, how to teach numeracy, how to cater for diversity and how to make best use of technology. The report also focuses on the ways in which the school and the community can support effective teaching of mathematics.