[SENco-forum] learning styles

You asked what makes the difference  - 1:1 or the use of visual/kin
materials.

I think it is the flexibility of the teacher knowing there is more than one
way to present information -whether visual/oral/kinaesthetic or even just
re-phrasing when language understanding is a barrier i.e. bigger/larger/more
than/ add on.  Flexibility is sadly most often, but not always, found with
the 1:1 or specialist teacher.

One child was struggling with the usual rote learning of times tables so
beloved of schools, but sheer torture for those for whom this learning does
not come easily.

With an IQ of 132 he had only managed 0-3 by rote, then doubled 2&3 times to
make 4 & 6 times table facts.  He was OK on 5/10 as he had learned this with
a visual strategy when he was younger.

Age 11 he was stuck on how to deal with 7/8/9 and so I taught him finger
strategies and that left us with the 12 times table.

First I showed him that they went up in order  1234 on one side and then
2468 on the other.  Not enough.

OK 1x 12 starts with 1_   and 2x12 starts with 2_ and the second figure is
double the first (he is ok with doubling)  12 24 36 48

Now we were up to 5 x 12 = 60  (reverse fact of 12x5)

6 x 12 is  60 + 12 (2 x 6 )  = 72
7 x 12 is 70 + 14 ( 2x 7)
8 x 12 is 80 + 16  (2 x 8)
9 x 12 is 90  + 18  (2x 9)

He knows 10/11 & just learned 12 by heart.

There is nothing wrong with his ability to calculate. He just can't learn by
reciting and cannot pluck a bald fact out of the air. If you ask him 6 x 7
you might a well be saying    flugr ic bluble  In these instances 10 x 5 is
no easier than 6x7.

He cannot hear the name 'six' and turn it into a number and even if he could
it has no 'feel' to it and he had no way of adding 7+7+7+7+7+7+7 in time
allowed.  He could not even do 5x7 + 1x7 as his 5x table was not secure or
fast enough.  So during mental math in Year 6 he was often reduced to tears
in class.  Not a good thing for an 11 year old.

4 years of trauma not being able to learn what everyone else was doing
easily and with the stress further blocking his ability  he now had it
cracked in 10 minutes of 1:1. Knowledge was maintained to the next session
and transferred to his work.  He got '5' for his SATS.

It didn't need a dyslexia tutor - just someone willing to be flexible enough
to find and use whatever was needed. Or maybe just taught by someone else
who doesn't 'do' math!
Sharon

PS the rods etc., are wonderful but they do not travel with you like fingers
do.

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