Practical activities for the teaching of maths to children with severe learning difficulties Debbie Rickard Mayfield School

 Explore the importance of maths for children with severe learning difficulties  More Than Just Maths  Ideas towards the three part lesson; Oral and mental starter, Main part; individual targets, towards counting, calculations, Plenary  Teaching strategies and techniques  Differentiation  Chip in!!

 DFES say maths vital for;  Underpinning research - science, technology and ICT  Labour market  Economy  Provides a set of key skills to enable individuals to reach their full potential in terms of life and work.

To what extent are our pupils realistically going to contribute to  research - science, technology and ICT?  The labour market?  The economy?  To what extent will the maths we teach our children enable individuals to reach their full potential in terms of life and work? ?

 Challenging individuals at their own level  Correct level increases motivation  Correct level ensures success, helping children become confident learners  Increased confidence and motivation leads to achievement and educational success  All the above add together to improve self- esteem and self-confidence

Educational success Independent learning Raised self-esteem Increased motivation Thorough assessment ensures work is pitched at correct level

 How does it make you feel……….  What is important is the process, not the answer…  Think soduku, and other numerical puzzles; why do we do them?

 Behaviour overall is good and learners are keen to get on with their work in a secure and friendly environment in which they can thrive.  Teaching is well informed, confident, engaging and precise.  The work is well matched to the full range of learners’ needs, so that most are suitably challenged.  Teaching assistants and resources are well deployed and good use is made of time..

 most learners..make less than satisfactory progress…due to unsatisfactory teaching or the impact of bad behaviour  learners’ overall behaviour or attitudes are unsatisfactory, and the tone of the lesson is inimical to the development of learners’ personal qualities  work badly matched to the pupils’ starting points  Methods…poorly geared to learning objectives…fail to gain the interest & commitment of learners  inadequate use of resources, including assistants and the time available  poor assessment

Teaching is NOT SATISFACTORY if  Pupils are too dependent on adults.  Activities do not encourage sustained interaction.  Pupils are unwilling to work without supervision Practice which is SATISFACTORY AND ABOVE include lessons where;  Pupils have suitable opportunities to make choices and become more independent.  Tasks have sufficient challenge to keep pupils working either independently or in co-operation with others.  Pupils are becoming increasingly more independent.  Time is used productively for independent and collaborative work. From OFSTED Handbook for Inspecting Special Schools and PRUS (2003)

 Targets must be smart  Our children do not learn in a series of predictable steps, we must take this into account and set a range of targets to prevent boredom. **  Teacher judgement  Challenge  Motivation  Interest  Enthusiasm  Belief  Enjoyment “ T h e r e i s n o s t a t u t o r y r e q u i r e m e n t f o r s c h o o l s t o p r e p a r e s e p a r a t e I E P ’ s f o r a l l p u p i l s w i t h S E N. ” ? ? ? ? R e m o v i n g B a r r i e r s t o A c h i e v e m e n t p. 2 3 **LOOK

 Communication  Abstract concepts  Memory – moving things from short to long term memory  Auditory memory and language  Concentration  Attention  Learning styles  Maths skills are linear – can’t move on until first skill is learned….

 Develop communication skills  Signs, symbols, gestures  Repetition, repetition, repetition  Listening, language and positive language  Internalisation of language  Reciting – action rhymes – sequence, routines to aid memory  Sequencing activities and songs  Active listening gaining attention Keeping attention Checking that the message has been understood

 Concrete to abstract- hiding things moving children from see, touch and move to counting things which cant be seen –thinking skills  Using apparatus to model mathematical structures  Responses  Visualisation – Hughes

 Play and laughter  The right level, the teachable moment, the right answer.  Multisensory learning  Fine motor skills – alternative ways of recording  Presentation

1. Oral and mental starter. This section of the lesson can be used effectively to teach some targets. 2. Main part of lesson. All work should be challenging and build on previous achievements, differentiated, innovative and responsive to children’s needs. 3. Plenary

Research on Laughter and learning points to improved learning gains when intellectual challenges are preceded and reprieved by laughter. When a child is laughing he or she is not likely to be anxious. When anxiety is reduced you take more risks. When you take more risks the likelihood of real learning goes up (Smith 1992)