[senco-forum] Can you acquire dyscalculia ???

She could buy a Nintendo DS and do the Brain Training Programme - good fun

A few years ago some forumers wrote about how effective Numicon is to teach
numeracy.  Interest spiked, I followed up and we now have it in school for
mainstream teaching (concentrating mostly on FS2 to Y2 with enough for catch
up for the remaining year groups) - I am just running insets/workshops year
group by year group through our primary school (roll 1200 so lots of kids n
teachers).

Romey Tacon and Tony Wing ran a trial of 50 children, starting with the 4
year olds.  These kids had Numicon as their numeracy structure for three
years.  Over 50% of them breezed to a level 3 in KS1 SATs.  As it was a
pilot the teaching did not extend into KS2 but the same children also did
very well in KS2 SATs.  Numicon works first on pattern, then the number
system then calculating.   Children did not record computation until they
could say it and make up number stories.   Romey points out that all the
principles needed for primary numeracy are taught in the kit 1 box.   She
holds that the NNS does not have enough concrete material and that children
need to visualise and manipulate and develop language.  Harry Wachs in his
book Thinking Goes to School found exactly the same - his teaching converted
a cohort of children who had been perceived as SEN into people who became
highly successful professionals as adults.  Tani Clausen-May has researched
spatial thinking and also found that children learn from handling concrete
materials.  Keith Holland is big on visualisation.

All the principles of teaching and learning that Romey talked to me about
are the same underlying principles for strong teaching and learning of
dyslexics and are pretty generic I would say.

I asked if there are any schools in the UK using Numicon as mainstream whole
school resource.  Apparently not (would love to be in touch with primary
school that re using Numicon in mainstream).  It is seen, although designed
for mainstream teaching, as an SEN resource.  I wonder what the SEN numeracy
stats would be if the opposite situation existed?  Did I just read that 1 in
3 11-14 year olds is failing in maths?

Romey presented recently to the government's committee that is reviewing
maths teaching in the UK.

Numicon has teaching binders with a teaching sequence, lesson plans and
assessments.  It can stand alone as a numeracy teaching resource.

There is some good info on www.numicon.com

Philippa

On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 3:22 AM, Phil <pmacken1 at bigpond.net.au> wrote:

> She could buy a Nintendo DS and do the Brain Training Programme - good fun
> and an incentive to do mental math's calculation every day against the
> clock. I have Brain training, More Brain Training and now they have
> brought
> out one especially to develop visual perception. I use it as a reward at
> school - kids thinks it's great to be able to play Nintendo at school!
> It's
> the only way my dyslexic son leant his times tables.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
> [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Jean Dowding
> Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 5:16 AM
> To: Stuart Lucas
> Cc: senco forum
> Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Can you acquire dyscalculia ???
>
> Your second comment may be the root of the problem, Stuart.  It is
> probably at least five years since this student worked with maths
> regularly; just like any other skill, you need to practice to maintain a
> level of achievement, especially with mental maths.  Perhaps a book
> dealing with mental maths skills and lots of practice would be the
> quickest way to see if the brain is just a bit rusty or whether there
> really is an underlying problem.
>
> Anita Straker has published lots of books of mental maths at primary level
> which should be in any college library, along with other authors.  I spent
> several years as Maths co-ordinator as well as Senco; getting children and
> less-than-confident teachers to work for just ten minutes a day on mental
> methods increased ability and raised confidence.
>
> As Brendan pointed out, acquired dyslexia and related problems are usually
> as the result of trauma - injury or stroke, for example.  It would seem
> unlikely that someone would suddenly develop problems without such trauma,
> given a good GCSE result.
>
> Regards
>
> Jean
>
>
>
>  More likely an aspect of dyslexia - plus lack of use!?
> > Stuart
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
> > [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of WrayJanice
> > Wray
> > Sent: 25 February 2008 16:40
> > To: senco forum
> > Subject: [senco-forum] Can you acquire dyscalculia ???
> >
> > A PGCE students has came to me asking whether one can suddenly develop
> > dyscalculia ? She got a B in her GCSE but of course now has to do the
> > basic maths and literacy tests that everyone has to do who is training
> > to be a teacher.
> >
> > I said I'd ask people who know these things...........................
> >
> > She is having real trouble with the maths apparently - especially mental
> > maths - I have given her the Brian Butterworth CD identifying
> > dyscalculia even though she is above the testing age. Is there a
> > dyscalculia test for adults ?
> >
> > Thanks in anticipation
> >
> > Janice
> >
> > Janice Wray
> >
> > Secondary SENCO, Herts
> >
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