Maths Education
like those with dyslexia, while
others may count easily but fail to
move on to the next
stage. Most commonly, this is because they cannot attach meaning to each digit or have no sense of the relationships between numbers using concepts of size, for example,
that 9 is at the end of the sequence of 1 to 9 because it represents the biggest quantity. These children with poor number sense can get caught up in “the counting trap”. The trick is to
fi nd out why and
what is the cause so that they can be helped as quickly a possible. Some children may have poor attention spans or simply may have not revised their tables enough, which is vital so that they understand what they are doing and so that it is embedded in their memory. Children who really
know their tables never forget them, in the same way that they never forget their own name. Dyslexic children
often struggle with maths because of poor memories. They may have a good sense of number and quantities, but just cannot remember important mathematical facts such as 6+6=12 and need to be helped to develop their maths reasoning to compensate for poor memory skills. For example they may know, but have “forgotten”, that 6+6 is two more than 5+5 and need aids to work it out each time! Extra revision and patient teaching can help children overcome their poor memory skills and embed the information into the longer term memory. Dyspraxic children may not only have diffi culties in some aspects of motor co-ordination but also in making sense of visual material or visualising. In both cases maths teaching can be hugely aided by using real objects and by being able to visualise number lines and
comparing quantities. If, however, a child seems to have very
little understanding of number in everyday situations, even when they are very motivated about working out their pocket money or having or receiving back the right change in a sweet shop, then you know they
don’t have good number sense. If, then, they keep adding, in spite of your eff orts, when they meet a question such as “what are three twos”? then it might be time to investigate their maths reasoning ability with a specialist, who may well diagnose them with dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is a relatively rare
condition, but current research does suggest that children may be helped to develop number sense by receiving specialist teaching in combination with various computer programmes that foster understanding of those elusive
things – numbers! So take heart! You CAN succeed in spite of dyscalculia,
just like being dyslexic it need not be a disaster. With grit and determination most can be successful in some way! Jane Emerson is the author of The Dyscalculia Assessment (Continuum Press)
How to help your child
å Counting Sequences: Simple board games like snakes and ladders are useful for practising counting sequences. By learning to recognise the patterns on the dice without counting them, children begin to notice that the patterns contain other patterns, for example, that four is made of two and two or three and one and so begin to understand that numbers can be put together in diff erent ways.
ç Number bonds are patterns: The ability to see the numbers bonds in the numbers up to ten is vital as it forms the basis of many calculations. Moving children on from counting in ones is intrinsic to the progression of a child’s math- ematical thinking. Dominoes and dice games teach children to make patterns and all the combinations of “what makes ten” without counting on their fi ngers. é Use reasoning and logic to make calculations more effi cient: If a child can under- stand that 8+2=10 then 10-8=2 and 10-2=8 then it is a short step forward to under- stand subtraction and the concept of the relative sizes of hundreds, tens and units in
numbers such as 123, 231, and 312. They then realise that the value of one, depends on its position in the number ie, it can represent one unit, one ten or one hundred units.
è Ensure true understanding of the times tables by using real objects. Children with good memories can learn these off by heart but do check that they understand what they are doing. Using counters is helpful. For example, in the case of 2 x 3, ask the child to arrange groups of counters to demonstrate that it means 2 groups of 3. Using the rectangular layout you can then show them that if two threes are six then there are two threes in six and three twos in six. In this way they begin to understand the con- nection between multiplication and division rather than thinking of them as separate.
References:
1. Activities and games can also be found in The Dyscalculia Assessment by Emerson and Babtie 2. Dyscalculia Guidance by Butterworth and Yeo, published by David Fulton, 2004. 3. For structured materials to develop number sense,See
www.mathsextra.com 4. For Base Ten materials ( Dienes blocks) see
www.learningresources.co.uk
www.fi rstelevenmagazine.co.uk Michaelmas 2011 FirstEleven 17
✎
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84