Showing posts with label Mathematics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mathematics. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
International Dyslexia Assoc: The Impact on Mathematics
While teachers and parents are well aware of the effect of dyslexia on reading, they often overlook its impact on mathematics.
The mastery of the symbolic language of mathematics involves many verbal cognitive processes that can be affected by dyslexia.
Ignoring the impact of dyslexia on the mastery of mathematics can hamper a child’s progress in school and in life.
Dyslexia is the inability to decode and obtain meaning from the printed word. It is a learning disability, not a condition due to inadequate instruction or intelligence.
Estimates of the incidence of dyslexia in school age children range from 5 to 10% (Shaywitz, Shaywitz, Fletcher, & Esteban, 1990).
Dyslexia most clearly impacts reading, spelling, and written expression. However, dyslexia may also affect mathematics achievement.
Approximately 5.9 % of students are identified with a math disability, a number similar to those with a reading disability (Fuchs, Fuchs, Powell, Seethaler, Cirino, & Fletcher, 2008).
Mathematics has a symbolic language whose practical function is to express spatial and quantitative relationships.
Number sense is acquired in developmental stages similar to those in the acquisition of language.
The process begins as soon as children begin to move and explore their environments, placing one box into another, stringing beads, learning “all gone”, etc.
Spatial relations concepts are based on identification of objects in space, distinguishing right from left, reasoning with abstract designs, and visualizing objects in other positions.
Children first assimilate and integrate non-verbal experiences; then they associate numerical symbols, numbers, and mathematical words such as “less” to these experiences.
Children need to have both experiences with mathematical relationships and the words to express them.
Reading numbers and recalling number names are prerequisites for using them to represent abstract quantities.
However, associating the names with the numerals, and recalling them when needed, may be difficult for children with dyslexia.
Mastery of numerical operations also involves retrieval of basic facts. Some children work diligently to learn the multiplication tables but cannot recall them, much to the frustration of teachers and parents.
Such retrieval problems were evident when Rosie , a bright ten year old with dyslexia, and her grandmother worked on learning the names of coins in a homework assignment.
“Grandma,” she said wearily, “ I can tell you that it’s worth ten cents but I don’t know its name.” The task of recalling, sequencing, and manipulating figures, shapes, letters, designs, patterns and numerals and associating them with quantities is analogous to associating letter names with the corresponding sounds, a task many children with dyslexia find challenging.
Instruction in mathematics is most frequently verbal instruction. This may be problematic for children with poor verbal comprehension and poor short term auditory memories.
They hear the teacher but do not fully comprehend or recall the concepts and operations she is describing because of language issues.
With faulty understanding, they are unable to apply the information correctly. Since mathematical concepts build on one another, this shaky foundation can adversely affect mastery of future concepts.
Moreover, the vocabulary of mathematics is unique and can be confusing. Subtraction problems can be phrased as “less than” “ take away”, “minus”, “subtract”, all of which refer to the same process.
Such multiple meanings should be directly taught but frequently it is simply assumed that children have learned them.
Word problems embed the math calculations in language. Performance here is impacted by problems with syntax and vocabulary, as well as calculation problems.
To obtain the correct answer, children must first comprehend the syntax and vocabulary, understand what the problem is asking, ignore extraneous information, devise a strategy to solve it, and retrieve and apply the requisite facts and operations.(Bryant & Bryant, 2008)
Solving algorithms also involves performing operations in correct sequence and reading operational signs correctly.
The symbolic language of math notations, such as decimal points, using x to signify the unknown, exponents, and parentheses, can be confusing.
Some children learn this language incidentally but for others this language must be frequently reinforced.
One eleven year old requested of his teacher, “Tell me which sign it is—the add one or the times one” before starting his calculations.
Dyslexia may make mastering mathematics difficult. Teachers and parents must be aware of potential issues and provide the supports necessary to ensure success in mathematics as well as in reading.
The mastery of the symbolic language of mathematics involves many verbal cognitive processes that can be affected by dyslexia.
Ignoring the impact of dyslexia on the mastery of mathematics can hamper a child’s progress in school and in life.
Dyslexia is the inability to decode and obtain meaning from the printed word. It is a learning disability, not a condition due to inadequate instruction or intelligence.
Estimates of the incidence of dyslexia in school age children range from 5 to 10% (Shaywitz, Shaywitz, Fletcher, & Esteban, 1990).
Dyslexia most clearly impacts reading, spelling, and written expression. However, dyslexia may also affect mathematics achievement.
Approximately 5.9 % of students are identified with a math disability, a number similar to those with a reading disability (Fuchs, Fuchs, Powell, Seethaler, Cirino, & Fletcher, 2008).
Mathematics has a symbolic language whose practical function is to express spatial and quantitative relationships.
Number sense is acquired in developmental stages similar to those in the acquisition of language.
The process begins as soon as children begin to move and explore their environments, placing one box into another, stringing beads, learning “all gone”, etc.
Spatial relations concepts are based on identification of objects in space, distinguishing right from left, reasoning with abstract designs, and visualizing objects in other positions.
Children first assimilate and integrate non-verbal experiences; then they associate numerical symbols, numbers, and mathematical words such as “less” to these experiences.
Children need to have both experiences with mathematical relationships and the words to express them.
Reading numbers and recalling number names are prerequisites for using them to represent abstract quantities.
However, associating the names with the numerals, and recalling them when needed, may be difficult for children with dyslexia.
Mastery of numerical operations also involves retrieval of basic facts. Some children work diligently to learn the multiplication tables but cannot recall them, much to the frustration of teachers and parents.
Such retrieval problems were evident when Rosie , a bright ten year old with dyslexia, and her grandmother worked on learning the names of coins in a homework assignment.
“Grandma,” she said wearily, “ I can tell you that it’s worth ten cents but I don’t know its name.” The task of recalling, sequencing, and manipulating figures, shapes, letters, designs, patterns and numerals and associating them with quantities is analogous to associating letter names with the corresponding sounds, a task many children with dyslexia find challenging.
Instruction in mathematics is most frequently verbal instruction. This may be problematic for children with poor verbal comprehension and poor short term auditory memories.
They hear the teacher but do not fully comprehend or recall the concepts and operations she is describing because of language issues.
With faulty understanding, they are unable to apply the information correctly. Since mathematical concepts build on one another, this shaky foundation can adversely affect mastery of future concepts.
Moreover, the vocabulary of mathematics is unique and can be confusing. Subtraction problems can be phrased as “less than” “ take away”, “minus”, “subtract”, all of which refer to the same process.
Such multiple meanings should be directly taught but frequently it is simply assumed that children have learned them.
Word problems embed the math calculations in language. Performance here is impacted by problems with syntax and vocabulary, as well as calculation problems.
To obtain the correct answer, children must first comprehend the syntax and vocabulary, understand what the problem is asking, ignore extraneous information, devise a strategy to solve it, and retrieve and apply the requisite facts and operations.(Bryant & Bryant, 2008)
Solving algorithms also involves performing operations in correct sequence and reading operational signs correctly.
The symbolic language of math notations, such as decimal points, using x to signify the unknown, exponents, and parentheses, can be confusing.
Some children learn this language incidentally but for others this language must be frequently reinforced.
One eleven year old requested of his teacher, “Tell me which sign it is—the add one or the times one” before starting his calculations.
Dyslexia may make mastering mathematics difficult. Teachers and parents must be aware of potential issues and provide the supports necessary to ensure success in mathematics as well as in reading.
Sunbird Educational Products Fruit & Veg Maths - YouTube
Fruit and Veg Maths is a truely interactive maths resource. Not because it can be used on an electronic whiteboard but because it can be manipulated by the teacher and/or the students.
It’s colourful and bright and guaranteed to keep your students engaged in maths lessons. Our resources are created to show students that maths lessons can be fun and interesting.
Fruit and Veg Maths allows children to practise real world situations when they are given a shopping list and have to calculate the cost.
Sunbird Educational Products
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Teaching Number Bonds
Number bonds.
An extract from the SJBWriting blog:
"We all use them in our adult life without even realising it. When adding up items in our basket at the supermarket, we know that 3p and 7p is 10p, and that 2x 50p is £1.
When we buy something for £5.60 at the market and hand over a £10 note, we know that £5.60 + 40p is £6 and another £4 makes £10, so we know to expect £4.60 change.
Knowing our number bonds is extremely useful, but a lot of children struggle to learn them.
Over the years I have successfully taught many children how to remember their number bonds. As with times tables, the key is to find multi-sensory ways to teach, and to make practising fun.
Some children respond very well to visual clues, and to help these I use colour sticks.
These are strips marked out in 10 sections and coloured in contrasting colours, so that children can see clearly that 2 red squares plus 8 green squares equals 10 squares altogether, and that 8 green squares plus 2 red squares also equals 10 squares altogether.
They are small enough to hold in the hand, and I tend to use them in conjunction with other methods. The children I tutor find them really useful to refer to during games.
Snap and pelmanism are always popular games, and I have made two sets of cards for this. The first set is colour-coded, so when the children turn the cards over there is a visual clue as to whether the two cards add up to 10.
When they turn over the first card, I encourage them to work out what number they need to find to make 10.
When the children are a little more confident I switch to the black and white ones to remove the visual clue, but we still play the same games to keep some familiarity."
If you find this interesting and want to read more of this article, go to SJBWriting
An extract from the SJBWriting blog:
"We all use them in our adult life without even realising it. When adding up items in our basket at the supermarket, we know that 3p and 7p is 10p, and that 2x 50p is £1.
When we buy something for £5.60 at the market and hand over a £10 note, we know that £5.60 + 40p is £6 and another £4 makes £10, so we know to expect £4.60 change.
Knowing our number bonds is extremely useful, but a lot of children struggle to learn them.
Over the years I have successfully taught many children how to remember their number bonds. As with times tables, the key is to find multi-sensory ways to teach, and to make practising fun.
Some children respond very well to visual clues, and to help these I use colour sticks.These are strips marked out in 10 sections and coloured in contrasting colours, so that children can see clearly that 2 red squares plus 8 green squares equals 10 squares altogether, and that 8 green squares plus 2 red squares also equals 10 squares altogether.
They are small enough to hold in the hand, and I tend to use them in conjunction with other methods. The children I tutor find them really useful to refer to during games.
Snap and pelmanism are always popular games, and I have made two sets of cards for this. The first set is colour-coded, so when the children turn the cards over there is a visual clue as to whether the two cards add up to 10.
When they turn over the first card, I encourage them to work out what number they need to find to make 10.
When the children are a little more confident I switch to the black and white ones to remove the visual clue, but we still play the same games to keep some familiarity."
If you find this interesting and want to read more of this article, go to SJBWriting
Friday, January 20, 2012
Help Children Make their own Learning Games
We are excited to think that children can use platforms like GamestarMechanic.com to make math games to help stimulate the learning process.
Let us know your experiences with this product.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
What is up with Noises? The Science and Mathematics of Sound, Frequency, and Pitch - YouTube
Mathemagician Vi Hart creates another brilliant stop-motion movie, this time exploring the science and mathematics of sound, frequency and pitch. From Pythagoras to the anatomy of the ear, Hart uses her signature playful hand-illustrations to reveal how simple mathematical ratios make pleasing melodies.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Difficulty estimating quantity linked to math learning disability - NIH
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered that the innate ability to estimate quantities is impaired in children who have a math learning disability.
The link between difficulty estimating quantities and math difficulties was seen only in children who had a math learning disability, and not in those who did poorly in math but were not considered to be learning disabled.
"The findings suggest that students may struggle with math for very different reasons," said Kathy Mann Koepke, Ph.D., director of the Mathematics and Science Cognition and Learning program at the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which funded the study.
"Research to identify these reasons may lead to new ways of identifying those at risk, and developing the means to help them."
Math learning disability is also referred to as dyscalculia.
The study was published in Child Development and was conducted by Michèle Mazzocco, Ph.D., at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and her colleagues, Lisa Feigenson, Ph.D., and Justin Halberda, Ph.D., also at Johns Hopkins.
In earlier research, Drs. Feigenson and Halberda have shown that the innate ability to estimate and compare quantities is present in infancy and improves with age.
"People rely on this ability in daily life," Dr. Mazzocco said. "A familiar example is when people size up which line will move more quickly at the grocery store, based on their perception of the number of persons and items per line."
The researchers compared children’s ability to estimate quantity with their level of mathematics achievement.
To conduct the study, the researchers gave 71 ninth graders two series of tests designed to measure their ability to estimate quantities, a capability governed by what the researchers referred to as the approximate number system (ANS).
The students were a subset of a larger sample of 161 students from Dr. Mazzocco's ongoing long-term research study. The children's math abilities had been tested at regular intervals since kindergarten.
The ninth graders were classified into four groups, based on math achievement scores they had received since kindergarten.
In the second series, nine to 15 dots of one color appeared, and the students were asked to say how many dots they saw.
Each screen flashed before their eyes for one fifth of a second, so the students did not have time to count the dots before answering. Each series of tests consisted of dozens of screens; the researchers considered the most accurate answers across the two series to indicate a more highly developed approximate number system.
The researchers found that students with math learning disability (math scores at or below the 10th percentile) had the poorest ANS scores. Dr. Mazzocco said that this finding suggests that problems with the ANS underlie math difficulties for children in this group.
However, children in the 11th to 25th percentile, on average, were no more likely to have poor ANS scores than were children in higher percentiles, who had no mathematical difficulties. It seems likely, Dr. Mazzocco said, that math difficulties in this group stem from a cause or causes distinct from the ANS.
"Children with mathematical learning difficulties are often viewed as a uniform group of students, for whom a single type of special instruction or math curriculum is appropriate," Dr. Mazzocco said. "Our findings suggest, however, that children have difficulty with math for different reasons."
Approximately 10 percent of school-age children have persistent and significant difficulties with math, and many more fail to achieve basic levels of mathematics achievement, Dr. Mazzocco said.
"If you have a health problem, a physician will examine you to determine the details of your condition and then will recommend a treatment plan specific to your needs," said Dr. Mazzocco.
"In the same way, educators need to be able to determine the factors underlying math difficulties so that they can tailor instructional methods to individual students’ needs.
A poor number sense seems to underlie math learning disability for many individuals, but it may not underlie poor math achievement for all students who struggle with math."
About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD):
The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the US nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centres and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
NIH is the primary US federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
The link between difficulty estimating quantities and math difficulties was seen only in children who had a math learning disability, and not in those who did poorly in math but were not considered to be learning disabled.
"The findings suggest that students may struggle with math for very different reasons," said Kathy Mann Koepke, Ph.D., director of the Mathematics and Science Cognition and Learning program at the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which funded the study.
"Research to identify these reasons may lead to new ways of identifying those at risk, and developing the means to help them."
Math learning disability is also referred to as dyscalculia.
The study was published in Child Development and was conducted by Michèle Mazzocco, Ph.D., at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and her colleagues, Lisa Feigenson, Ph.D., and Justin Halberda, Ph.D., also at Johns Hopkins.
In earlier research, Drs. Feigenson and Halberda have shown that the innate ability to estimate and compare quantities is present in infancy and improves with age.
"People rely on this ability in daily life," Dr. Mazzocco said. "A familiar example is when people size up which line will move more quickly at the grocery store, based on their perception of the number of persons and items per line."
The researchers compared children’s ability to estimate quantity with their level of mathematics achievement.
To conduct the study, the researchers gave 71 ninth graders two series of tests designed to measure their ability to estimate quantities, a capability governed by what the researchers referred to as the approximate number system (ANS).
The students were a subset of a larger sample of 161 students from Dr. Mazzocco's ongoing long-term research study. The children's math abilities had been tested at regular intervals since kindergarten.
The ninth graders were classified into four groups, based on math achievement scores they had received since kindergarten.
- above the 95th percentile (high achieving)
- 25th to 95th percentile (typically achieving)
- 11th to 25th percentile (low achieving)
- 10th percentile and below (math learning disabled)
In the second series, nine to 15 dots of one color appeared, and the students were asked to say how many dots they saw.
To measure children's ability to estimate and compare quantities, the researchers administered two series of tests. In the first, the children viewed groups of dots and were asked to say whether there were more blue or yellow dots. In the second, nine to 15 dots of one color appeared, and the children were asked to say how many dots they saw. Each screen was visible for only one fifth of a second, so the children wouldn't have time to count the dots.
The researchers found that students with math learning disability (math scores at or below the 10th percentile) had the poorest ANS scores. Dr. Mazzocco said that this finding suggests that problems with the ANS underlie math difficulties for children in this group.
However, children in the 11th to 25th percentile, on average, were no more likely to have poor ANS scores than were children in higher percentiles, who had no mathematical difficulties. It seems likely, Dr. Mazzocco said, that math difficulties in this group stem from a cause or causes distinct from the ANS.
"Children with mathematical learning difficulties are often viewed as a uniform group of students, for whom a single type of special instruction or math curriculum is appropriate," Dr. Mazzocco said. "Our findings suggest, however, that children have difficulty with math for different reasons."
Approximately 10 percent of school-age children have persistent and significant difficulties with math, and many more fail to achieve basic levels of mathematics achievement, Dr. Mazzocco said.
"If you have a health problem, a physician will examine you to determine the details of your condition and then will recommend a treatment plan specific to your needs," said Dr. Mazzocco.
"In the same way, educators need to be able to determine the factors underlying math difficulties so that they can tailor instructional methods to individual students’ needs.
A poor number sense seems to underlie math learning disability for many individuals, but it may not underlie poor math achievement for all students who struggle with math."
About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD):
The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the US nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centres and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
NIH is the primary US federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Number talk is important for preschool children
The amount of time parents spend talking about numbers has a much bigger impact on how young children learn mathematics than was previously known, researchers at the University of Chicago have found.
For example, children whose parents talked more about numbers were much more likely to understand the cardinal number principle–which states that the size of a set of objects is determined by the last number reached when counting the set (e.g., a set of 10 items is larger than a set of seven items).
“By the time children enter preschool, there are marked individual differences in their mathematical knowledge, as shown by their performance on standardized tests,” said University of Chicago psychologist Susan Levine, the Stella M. Rowley Professor in Psychology and the leader of the study. Other studies have shown that the level of mathematics knowledge entering school predicts future success.
The results of the study were published in the article, “What Counts in the Development of Young Children’s Number Knowledge?” in the current issue of Developmental Psychology. Joining lead author Levine in the study were four other scholars.
“The findings underscore the important role that caregivers can play in children’s early mathematical learning,” said Soo-Siang Lim, program director for the National Science Foundation’s Science of Learning Centers Program. NSF partially funded the research.
“The frequency with which parents’ talk with their toddlers about numbers, such as counting the number of objects in spatial arrays and labeling these set sizes, predicts their children’s understanding of numbers,” said Lim.
“These findings suggest that encouraging parents to talk about numbers with their children, and providing them with effective ways to do so, may positively impact children’s school achievement,” said Levine.
For example, children whose parents talked more about numbers were much more likely to understand the cardinal number principle–which states that the size of a set of objects is determined by the last number reached when counting the set (e.g., a set of 10 items is larger than a set of seven items).
“By the time children enter preschool, there are marked individual differences in their mathematical knowledge, as shown by their performance on standardized tests,” said University of Chicago psychologist Susan Levine, the Stella M. Rowley Professor in Psychology and the leader of the study. Other studies have shown that the level of mathematics knowledge entering school predicts future success.
The results of the study were published in the article, “What Counts in the Development of Young Children’s Number Knowledge?” in the current issue of Developmental Psychology. Joining lead author Levine in the study were four other scholars.
“The findings underscore the important role that caregivers can play in children’s early mathematical learning,” said Soo-Siang Lim, program director for the National Science Foundation’s Science of Learning Centers Program. NSF partially funded the research.
“The frequency with which parents’ talk with their toddlers about numbers, such as counting the number of objects in spatial arrays and labeling these set sizes, predicts their children’s understanding of numbers,” said Lim.
“These findings suggest that encouraging parents to talk about numbers with their children, and providing them with effective ways to do so, may positively impact children’s school achievement,” said Levine.
Friday, May 7, 2010
ExamFox: New online learning methodology developed for struggling students
ExamFox is a brand new service offering expert one-to-one online tuition for GCSE and A-Level students, focusing on revision and exam practice to improve students’ knowledge and exam technique.
1. Is your child underperforming at school and not on track to get the exam grades they want, or deserve?
2. Do they lack the confidence to ask questions in class and so get passed over?
3. Do they suffer from anxiety about exams and seem lost in understanding how to prepare?
4. Do they suffer with a learning disability that is handicapping their learning?
ExamFox founder and former teacher Patrick Wilson has developed a new approach to tackling these issues. Having struggled at school himself, Wilson understands first-hand the difficult facing many of today’s children whether they suffer with learning difficulties or not.
He says: “Students who are reminded every day that they are doing badly feel constantly overwhelmed. They make a huge effort, they think they're trying their best – in fact they’re not, but they think they are – but their best is never good enough. That feeling becomes an ever present fear: ‘I have low potential. I am going to fail.’ That lack of self-esteem reaches every part of your life.”
The ExamFox system is specifically designed to help underperforming individual students. ExamFox creates a 5-Step Plan for every student which outlines the key areas they need to address to help them achieve their true potential. Tutors regularly set assignments and assessments, to ensure students stay on track, and provide feedback to ensure they have fully understood all the required material.
Courses are offered in a range of subjects including GCSE Maths and A -Level Psychology. ExamFox has more than 50 tutors located across the UK with up to 20 years of experience teaching students seven days a week. All tutors have been hand-selected and trained to ensure that they continue to deliver Patrick’s founding principles.
All new students who sign up can claim a free 1 hour trial lesson in a subject of their choice. The website, which is free to join, also provides users access to a free library of resources of videos, study guides and exam tips.
Success Stories
ExamFox student Atlanta Walsh says: “I was really confused by the way my lessons were working out in school and often felt ignored. But Chris (ExamFox tutor) gives me the attention I need to understand complicated Maths problems. Now I feel really confident that I’m going to ace my Maths exam.”
Tutor Chris Jefferies says: “ExamFox really suits bright but underperforming students to help them achieve their potential. I log on, turn on my webcam and begin teaching. The interactive element of the lesson means the pupils are really responsive and nobody wastes their time travelling.”
ExamFox Says
ExamFox founder Patrick Wilson says: “Young people take to online learning with huge enthusiasm and gain fantastic results. Our students don’t see lessons as a boring chore but an exciting way to bring their subject to life. ExamFox tutors break down their revision into achievable weekly chunks to give them a clear path to exam success, so stress doesn’t get in the way of progress.”
NB: This blog and website provides the article on ExamFox purely for information and does not in anyway promote or recommend the use of the ExamFox online service.
However, we are very interested to hear from you concenring any feedback or experiences you may have with the service and would welcome your input and stories. Let us know if this service is good, mediocre or otherwise and we will share our experiences with you.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Channel 4 TV Highlights Failing Number Skills in UK Children
In 2009 more than one in five children left primary school having failed to grasp the basic maths skills required by the national curriculum. In a two-part special, Dispatches asks why and how are we failing Britain's children when it comes to maths.
Dispatches follows a class of final-year pupils at Barton Hill Primary School in Bristol as their staff adopt a radical approach to teaching, in a bid to improve the maths ability of these children before they head off to secondary school.
The problem couldn't be more urgent. Research shows that failing to grasp the fundamentals of maths at primary school leaves only a one in ten chance of catching up by the age of 16.
Dispatches hears from leading lights in the worlds of business and academia - including the CEO of Sainsbury's, Justin King, and George Davies, formerly of Next and Asda - about the impact on the economy and on adult life of leaving school without basic maths skills.
In a provocative nationwide exercise, Dispatches examines the standard of primary maths teaching in this country by testing the teachers. No tricks; just 27 questions that a bright 11-year-old would be able to answer. The shocking results are revealed in the programme.
You can play a shortened version of the maths test by clicking the 'maths quiz' link in the left-hand column of the Channel 4 website page here.
Dispatches follows a class of final-year pupils at Barton Hill Primary School in Bristol as their staff adopt a radical approach to teaching, in a bid to improve the maths ability of these children before they head off to secondary school.
The problem couldn't be more urgent. Research shows that failing to grasp the fundamentals of maths at primary school leaves only a one in ten chance of catching up by the age of 16.
Dispatches hears from leading lights in the worlds of business and academia - including the CEO of Sainsbury's, Justin King, and George Davies, formerly of Next and Asda - about the impact on the economy and on adult life of leaving school without basic maths skills.
In a provocative nationwide exercise, Dispatches examines the standard of primary maths teaching in this country by testing the teachers. No tricks; just 27 questions that a bright 11-year-old would be able to answer. The shocking results are revealed in the programme.
You can play a shortened version of the maths test by clicking the 'maths quiz' link in the left-hand column of the Channel 4 website page here.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Dyspraxia: Work with Your Child's Teacher to Identify and Address Math Disabilities
Mathematics disabilities are identified through a variety of procedures. Usually the classroom teacher or parent observes that the child is having persistent difficulty learning mathematics and tends to perform poorly on classroom math assessments compared to the rest of the class. For example, the child may have trouble remembering what the teacher has taught or she may have difficulty using effective strategies to solve math problems.
By observing and working directly with a child over time, the teacher can determine if her difficulty learning mathematics is persistent. Unfortunately, mathematics disabilities are usually not identified until the upper elementary school years because early problems often go undetected and assessment results may not be sensitive enough to detect a problem until the later grades.
Information about the child's performance can be gathered in several ways. Weekly tests, homework, and class work samples are examples of information the teacher can collect about the child's progress learning the mathematics curriculum. The teacher may adapt how instruction is provided to accommodate a child's learning needs and then note how the child responds to those adaptations.
The teacher may also seek assistance from a specialist or school support team who can offer additional ideas about how to adapt instruction for the child who is struggling to learn the curriculum. The teacher may also consult with the child's parents to understand how the child is doing on math homework. All of this information helps the teacher and school support team develop a profile of the child's learning difficulties and her response to instruction and adaptations.
By observing and working directly with a child over time, the teacher can determine if her difficulty learning mathematics is persistent. Unfortunately, mathematics disabilities are usually not identified until the upper elementary school years because early problems often go undetected and assessment results may not be sensitive enough to detect a problem until the later grades.
Information about the child's performance can be gathered in several ways. Weekly tests, homework, and class work samples are examples of information the teacher can collect about the child's progress learning the mathematics curriculum. The teacher may adapt how instruction is provided to accommodate a child's learning needs and then note how the child responds to those adaptations.
The teacher may also seek assistance from a specialist or school support team who can offer additional ideas about how to adapt instruction for the child who is struggling to learn the curriculum. The teacher may also consult with the child's parents to understand how the child is doing on math homework. All of this information helps the teacher and school support team develop a profile of the child's learning difficulties and her response to instruction and adaptations.
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