Project Good Start is a two-year study commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research as part of the Australian Government's Numeracy Research and Development Initiative. A number of state and national projects are being conducted which focus on improving students' outcomes in numeracy by identifying effective teaching and learning practices in the primary and pre- primary years. This article describes some of the findings of the study. The role of the Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) in the study is discussed.