Learning to Learn Mathematics

Children as young as six can write off maths as a subject they dislike and just can’t do. Louise Matthews writes about an intervention which is designed to recover the subject for these children.

Numbers Count© is an intensive intervention for learners in Years 1 to 8 who have the greatest difficulties with mathematics. It is delivered by a specially trained teacher who also supports other staff in school. A major role of the teacher is to help children to learn how to become positive, active learners, seeking to make sense of their mathematical experiences and deploying a range of strategies to solve problems that are presented to them.

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      string(5814) "Etkililiği. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Dergisi, 10(1), 49-68.Aubrey, C., Dahl, S., & Godfrey, R. (2006). Early Mathematics Development and Later Achievement: Further Evidence. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 8 (1), 21-46. Ayaz, M. F. & Aydoğdu, M. (2009). İlköğretim İkinci Kademe Öğrencilerinin Problem Çözme Başarıları ile Problem Çözme Aşamalarını Kullanmaları Arasındaki İlişki. Matematikçiler Derneği 8. Matematik Sempozyumu, 12- Kasım.Aydın, S. & Yeşilyurt, M. (2007). Matematik Öğretiminde Kullanılan Dile İlişkin Öğrenci Görüşleri. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 6(22), 90-100.Ayres, K. M., Lowrey, K. A., Douglas, K. H., & Sievers, C. (2011). I Can Identify Saturn but I Can’t Brush My Teeth: What Happens When The Curricular Focus for Students with Severe Disabilities Shifts. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 46, 11-21.Baki, A. & Kartal, T. (2004). 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M., Spooner, E, Ahlgrim-Delzell, L., Wakeman, S. Y., & Harris, A. (2008). A Meta-Analysis for Teaching Mathematics to Individuals with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. Exceptional Children, 74,404-432.Brown, A., & Deloache, J. (1978). Skills, Plans and Self-Regulation. In R. S. Seigler (Ed.), Children’s Thinking: What Develops? (pp. 3-55). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B., Roberts, G., & Vaughn, S. (2011). Early Numeracy Intervention Program for First-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulties. Council for Exceptional Children, 78 (1), 7-23.Buckley, S., & Sachs, B. (1987). The Adolescent with Down Syndrome: Life for The Teenager and for The Family. UK: Portsmouth Polytechnic.Butler, F. M., Miller, S. P., Lee, K.-h., & Pierce, T. (2001). Teaching Mathematics to Students with Mild-to-Moderate Mental Retardation: A Review of The Literature. Mental Retardation, 39, 20-31.Carpenter, T. P., & Moser, J. M. (1984). 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Numeracy for Adults with Down Syndrome: It’s a Matter of Quality of Life. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49 (10), 761-765.Frank, A. R. (1989). Counting Skills: A foundation for Early Mathematics. Arithmetic Teacher, 7 (l), 14-17.Fuson, K. C. (1988). Children’s Counting and Concepts of Number. New York: Springer-Verlag.Fuson, K. C., Perry, T., & Kwon, Y. (1994). Latino, Anglo, and Korean Children’s Finger Addition Methods. In J. E. H. Van Luit (Ed.), Research on Learning and Instruction of Mathematics in Kindergarten and Primary School (pp. 220-228). Doctinchcm, The Netherlands: Graviant.Gaunt, L., Moni, K. B., & Jobling, A. (2012). Developing Numeracy in Young Adults with Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation of Specific Teaching Strategies. Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 18 (2), 11-25.Geary, D. C. (1990). A Componential Analysis of An Early Learning Deficit in Mathematics. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 49, 363-383.Geary, D. C., Bow-Thomas, C. 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Conditions

Numeracy for Children with Special Educational Needs

16 Oct 2017

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      string(580) "This first annual report by the DCSF on the Every Child Counts programme shows that in the first year of the Every Child Counts programme, children have made an average of 13.5 months progress over three months with just 20 hours tuition. This means they are progressing at over four times the expected rate. On entry to the programme none of these children were predicted by their schools to reach nationally expected levels in their age seven (end of Key Stage 1) maths assessments, but nearly three quarters achieved or exceeded this level.
Leadership Briefings Issue 4.06 (42)"
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      string(4606) "ResourceEVERY CHILD COUNTSOriginal DocumentEvery Child Counts – The Results Of The First Year 2008/09. This first annual report by the DCSF on the Every Child Counts programme shows that in the first year of the Every Child Counts programme, children have made an average of 13.5 months progress over three months with just 20 hours tuition. This means they are progressing at over four times the expected rate. On entry to the programme none of these children were predicted by their schools to reach nationally expected levels in their age seven (end of Key Stage 1) maths assessments, but nearly three quarters achieved or exceeded this level.KeywordsEvery Child Counts, maths assessments, Key Stage 1, progressSummaryThe Every Child Counts programme is aimed at Year 2 primary pupils who have fallen behind their peers. The programme aims to enable the lowest attaining children to make sufficient progress to reach expected levels of attainment at Key Stage 1 and beyond. It provides training and support for teachers so they can work with children in one-to-one and/or small group intervention sessions, teaching for the lowest achieving children in school Year 2. Children are taught for half an hour a day, every day, for around 12 weeks.The results of the programme show that 2,621 of the lowest achieving six-and-seven-year-olds, many from poor backgrounds, made almost 14 months progress on average after just 20 hours specialist one-to-one or small-group tuition – four times the normal rate of progress.None of the children in the pilot were predicted to reach expected levels for maths when they started the Numbers Counts lessons – but research on the impact by Edge Hill University, which runs the programme, found that nearly three-quarters were up to speed by the time they were seven.The researchers found that that the lively, lessons engaged children, many of whom had special educational needs or very low self confidence, who might have been missed in bigger classes.The scheme is now expanding this year to 12,000 Year 2 pupils, with an additional 460 teachers trained on top of the 207 existing staff. The scheme will go nationwide in September 2010 with 30,000 of the lowest achievers being taught annuallyKey Findings:· 2,621 low-achieving seven year olds in 27-local authorities given one-to-one help with numeracy in 2008-09 made on average 13.5 months progress in Number Age in just 20 hours of teaching spread over three months – over four times the ‘normal’ rate of progress.· On entry to the programme none of these children were predicted by their teachers to reach nationally expected levels in their end of Key Stage 1 maths assessments, but nearly three quarters achieved or exceeded this level.· The programme helped to narrow social class attainment gaps – 41% of children taught were living in poverty, compared to 16% of all primary-aged children.· The programme helped tackle the lack of confidence that is a key barrier to progress in maths – children made on average a 21% improvement in attitudes to learning.· There was significant impact on home and community as well as on children, with parents showing increased skills and confidence.· 207 teachers undertook a full year’s professional development in early mathematics intervention, in order to qualify as Numbers Count teachers. They began to use their specialist skills to raise whole-school standards.· In 2008-9, the programme ran in 27 out of 152 local authority areas in England. In 2009-10 the programme will expand to 78 local authorities. 460 new Numbers Count teachers will be trained.Conclusion:The programme has demonstrated that providing skilled one-to-one tuition is an effective solution to early numeracy difficulties.Almost three quarters of the children involved – the hardest to teach children in the schools where it is hardest to raise standards – have been returned to average or above numeracy levels for their age after an average of just 20 hours of one-to-one teaching. Nearly half of these children were poor. This means the scheme has been able to address entrenched inequalities that are of concern to all our funders.The initiative has shown that schools can raise their aspirations for the lowest attaining children, and begin to break the link between disadvantage and attainment.ActionNotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Imaginative MindsDate CreatedOctober 2009Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Every Child Counts - 2008/09

15 Oct 2009

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      string(5786) "strong mathematics leadership in a setting. Leaders with a good knowledge and understanding of mathematics and mathematics teaching and learning were central to raising the profile of maths in a setting and ensuring it was part of all the activities children enjoyed.Settings also recognised that their practitioners were likely to need support to grow their numeracy confidence and skills, so focused CPD was offered. Key also was providing time for staff to plan numeracy activities together. These activities were best delivered in a ‘real-life’ context –  developed through theme work and games – and ensuring children got immediate feedback. Part of this is talking to and listening to children, so settings know their children better- their strengths, areas for development and the things they enjoy. 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Numbers, shapes etc. were everywhere in these settings, displayed at the children’s height; different shapes being used for name tags and so on. Even before specific numeracy resources and sessions are used through the day, children are surrounded by mathematical concepts.Of course the role of the practitioner or teacher is also critical. Children see their practitioners using numbers every day. The best practitioners will think out loud when undertaking a task, even when unrelated to the children. For example, preparing lunch in a childminding setting allows the practitioner to count out portions, talk about halving and sharing equally. Good practitioners find endless opportunities to count out loud – how many coats am I hanging up today? How many pencils do we need? Alongside this there are endless examples of how adult led play can support numeracy development in a fun and interactive way. Just one example, once children are familiar with either the 1–10 or 1–20 number lines, is the “Number Robber”. At different times in the day, a practitioner removes one or more numbers from the number line(s) and then supports children to notice the missing numbers. A number hunt may also take place or children are provided with materials to create their replacement number.Mathematical language is of course critical – longest, shortest, more and less – are all used regularly in numeracy friendly settings so children become familiar with these concepts from an early age. For babies often it is songs and games, such as staking cups, that first introduce these concepts.  They help children to practice and consolidate maths concepts as well as respond to the rhythm and patterns within. For older children role play can be extremely effective. We all recall the pleasures of a mud kitchen. They offer children opportunities for role play and home corner play, enriched by natural objects outdoors. More effective than indoor play kitchens or sandpits, they allow children to experiment with different consistencies and textures as well as use different sized containers to empty and fill. Cooking ingredients can include pebbles, twigs, gravel, sand, mud, leaves, fir cones, shells. All helping children explore how different ingredients work with different utensils.As already mentioned, early numeracy is also key to supporting children’ early problem solving. It not only builds self-esteem and confidence, it also helps to consolidate their knowledge of mathematical concepts. The problem to be solved should be linked to an area of interest for a child; they should be given the time they need to solve the problem (even if it means returning to it many times) and careful practitioner intervention is key to ensuring a child doesn’t become frustrated by the process. 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Early Years

Mathematics in the early years

20 Jun 2017

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      string(5279) "percentage in the younger age groups is too unsure tocomment about their personal chances of success.18 per cent of 14-16 year olds and 23v of 16-18 year olds are pessimistic or very■■■■■■■■Ways intoWork: viewsof childrenand youngpeople eneducationandemploymentare representative of the local community.When evaluating their effectiveness, it is advisable for schools forums periodicallyto review the remit and role of subgroups to maximise their contribution andensure its relevance.Schools forums need to examine how well they disseminate, and how clearly theyexplain decisions to constituents, stakeholders and the wider community.Schools forums will benefit from considering the extent to which their practicereflects the characteristics of the more connected and proactive behaviour outlinedabove.■■■https://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdfhttps://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Press/City-and-Guilds-Ways-into-Work-Views_of_Young_People-Report.pdf18Vol 4.2School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comReportsLeadershipBriefing pessimistic about finding a job after leaving school or college.Money worries are prominent. 64 per cent of 14-18 year olds are concerned tosome extent about earning enough money in future and 21 per cent are veryconcerned.Numeracy skills are known to have a positive impact on life chances and this studyshows a majority of young people, 69 per cent, believe that as a subject Maths canhelp them become successful. This figure is highest in the 7-11 age group (85 percent).However, 14-18 year olds, particularly girls, find classroom Maths boring, difficultor irrelevant. Many young people do not see the relevance of what they learn inschool to its subsequent use in the ‘real world’.54 per cent of 16-18 year olds commented unprompted that taught Maths shouldbe more geared towards real life, relevant or practical scenarios.Action:Given that employers and parents are considered to be among the most usefulchannels for Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG), the Governmentshould consider how the emphasis of information provided to young peopleabout employment can be shifted towards the channels that are most useful – i.e.employers and parents.These findings start to contradict some of the negative stereotypes that exist inour society of young people being lazy and uninterested in the world. Instead,there is serious concern about the future and considered views on their chances ofemployment, success and wealth.We need to revolutionise the way we think about Maths both in schools andbeyond. Practical Maths would engage young people and give employers the skillsthey need to drive economic growth.Based on these findings, we need to improve the connection between educationand employment. Addressing the link between education and work will not onlyreduce the unemployment count amongst young people but will also give themthe opportunities to channel their enthusiasm into a realistic understanding ofthe world of work. Employers would benefit from new waves of candidates whounderstand what work means from an early age and therefore have the bestopportunity to prepare themselves with the skills employers demand.■■■■■■■■everychild JournalBy subscribing to thisbi-monthly journal you willreceive:Advice on recognisinglearning, care and physicalproblems and conditionsEvidence of effectiveinterventionsCo-operative good practicebetween agenciesLegal advice on such thingsas information sharing andsafeguardingResearch that can helpprofessionals supportindividual children at riskMonthly email briefings onpolicy, research reports andpractice developments■■■■■■Recent EveryChild Journalarticles haveincluded:The ABC ofneglectEmpoweringthe bullied childEarly intervention, notemergency interventionHow to make a ‘bad’ schoolbetterUp and coming:Policing schoolsPeer support for bullying■■■■■■Making the Every ChildMatters agenda work onthe groundThe need to co-ordinate the service response to vulnerable children has never been greater. Every Child Journalis a unique practice journal for professionals working in this field, providing solutions across the education, healthand care sectors, to help practitioners improve the life outcomes of disadvantaged and vulnerable children.To subscribe to Every Child Journal: Call the Subscriptions Orderline 0121 224 7578 or email sandie@imaginativeminds.co.ukSubscribe online at: www.teachingtimes.com/publications/every-child-journal_1.htm"
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Leadership

SLT 4.2 Report Update

30 Oct 2012

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      string(5776) "96Vol 4.4School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcesSue: Thank you for giving your time for this interview, I know you are very busy, but asan experienced head teacher and systems leader, it will be very interesting for ourreaders to see how you have approached school improvement in mathematics inyour school.Anne: No problem Sue. My project started when I read a government report saying5% of eleven-year-olds leave primary school with mathematical skills at the levelof a seven-year-old. Reviewing my school’s data, I realised that while mainstreampupils were not leaving Parkland with levels as poor as this, some children wereunderachieving and I knew we had to do something about it. I was also awarethat nationally the gap between the highest and lowest attainers in mathematicsincreased between 1998 and 2002 and this was also of concern to me. I think ayoung child’s ability to count, calculate and work confidently with mathematicalideas is essential for their future success.What do you get if you subtractchildren underachieving in maths fromthe class, divide them by a team ofdedicated teaching assistants and thenmultiply them all by a new approachto teaching? Head teacher at ParklandPrimary School, Anne Lloyd, explainsthe answer to Sue Lyle.Underachievingin maths – Aproblem solved97Vol 4.4School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcesSue: So what did you do?Anne: As I was only just appointed to the school, I began by reviewing howmathematics was taught. Teachers use the National Curriculum subject ordersfor mathematics and the Skills Framework for KS2/3 as the basis for curriculumplanning. They also use Abacus Evolve for short term planning. In reviewing pupilattainment, I decided to target those pupils who were underachieving in mathsand began looking for an intervention strategy.Sue: How did you decide what intervention to use?Anne: I was aware that the local authority recommends and also organises trainingon the use of ‘Catch Up’, a numeracy recovery scheme. I was mindful of an Ofstedreport saying children who receive successful intervention by the ages of sixor seven will not need it in subsequent key stages so I wanted to find an earlyintervention programme. It was also important for me to ensure the interventiontargeted each child’s specific weaknesses. Catch Up begins with a comprehensiveassessment of the child to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, and fromthis, one-to-one intervention is put in place.Sue: That sounds staff and time intensive.Anne: Yes and no. The assessment does take considerable time per pupil, but followingassessment to identify the specific needs of each child, Catch Up Numeracy canbe delivered by teaching assistants (TAs) in two fifteen-minute, one-to-oneintervention sessions each week. The TAs also monitor the child’s progress anddiscuss this with the class teacher and the child. However, the TAs need trainingin Catch Up and this requires investment. I would need to carefully monitor theimpact of the intervention on learners’ outcomes in order to judge value formoney.Sue: So the first thing was to get the TAs trained and then begin the intervention.Anne: Yes. I decided to target all children in the school who exhibited delays ordifficulty with mathematics from Year 2 upwards. Selection was based on firstscrutinising standardised Granada Learning (GL) assessment scores to identifychildren with standardised scores below ninety-five – these children then satanother assessment, which provided a more focused score. Children scoringless than thirty-five were then assessed using the Catch Up Numeracy diagnosticassessment. The children who were identified as having gaps in their knowledge,skills and/or understanding were included in the intervention. In total, forty-onechildren received intervention twice weekly, for a period of fifteen minutes persession, organised on a one-to-one basis for two half terms from October 2011 toFebruary 2012. There were five TAs delivering the support across the classes.Sue: What was your role in the project?Anne: As head teacher, this research helped me fulfil my responsibility to lead learningin my school. I set up a Professional Learning Community (PLC) consisting of fiveteaching assistants and myself and, together, we planned our action researchproject. We had our baseline data and, as the research progressed, more data wascollected. This data was analysed and in discussion with staff, we decided uponsubsequent action.Sue: What data did you collect?Anne: I observed TA and child one-to-one sessions to see how they implementedthe programme and afterwards led discussions with all the TAs together. Wedecided that each TA should keep records of progress for each child, looking at thechildren’s attitudes and opinions as well as attainment. These records provideda focus for group discussions. I also interviewed some of the children and their98Vol 4.4School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcesclass teachers to gain their views on the programme. All parents of the childreninvolved were aware their child had been selected for the intervention and theywere consulted through questionnaires.Sue: Well, the proof of the pudding as they say – what were the results?Anne: The bottom line for me is improvement on standardised tests. I hadadministered the Young’s Mathematics Test before and after the interventionand the average scores of the children had risen from twenty-one to thirty-seven by the end of the project. These results were"
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Leadership

Underachieving in maths - A problem solved

26 Nov 2012

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