Practical Activities for Children with Dyscalculia: the Schools' Edition

One in 20 children is believed to have such problems in understanding basic maths that the child can reasonably be called “dyscalculic”.

Practical Activities for Children with Dyscalculia is the first ever book that can be used by teachers working with individuals or small groups of such children. The book provides a series of activities that will resolve the mathematical “block” that many of these children face, in a series of small group or individual lessons.

By working through these activities children who have fundamental problems in handling the most basic of mathematical concepts will learn how to handle numbers, sequences, addition, multiplication, subtraction and division. The book takes the child from the concept of “higher” and “lower” to division by numbers over 12.

Practical Activities for Children with Dyscalculia works from the basis that virtually all children who have particular difficulties with mathematics have these problems because they have failed to grasp one or more of the fundamental principles of maths, and it is this that causes their subsequent problems. The book takes the children through these fundamentals using a newly developed multi-sensory approach alongside conventional notation of maths.

It is not anticipated that most children will need to work through the whole book; rather the volume is constructed so that the teacher can direct the pupil to work on specific topics in order to clarify issues previously misunderstood.

The school will need to provide a series of coloured counters (such as those used with games of Ludo or tiddlywinks) and for some of the later work, a set of cards. 

Practical Activities for Children with Dyscalculia is photocopiable throughout and available on CD Rom so that, where it is deemed desirable, sections may be copied and handed over to parents so that they can work with the child at home on simple exercises. For situations where parents are particularly supportive a separate Parents Edition of the exercises is available at a reduced cost for schools that have purchased this edition.

Order code: T1654 £24.95
Available as a photocopiable book or on CD RomTo see sample pages please click here

Practical Activities for Children with Dyscalculia: the Parents' Edition It is vital that children who have difficulties with maths not only get help in school, but that they also practise their maths at home with a parent. By working through the activities in this book children who have fundamental problems in handling the most basic of mathematical concepts will learn how to handle numbers, sequences, addition, multiplication, subtraction and division. The book takes the child from the concept of “higher” and “lower” to division by numbers over 12.

The Parents’ Edition of “Practical Activities” links directly with the work that children undertake through the Schools’ Edition of this book, and allows the parent to undertake short homework activities with the child, without the child having to take home photocopied pages each day.

Having their own copy of the Parents’ Edition of this book allows parents to see how the work progresses and helps them understand the way in which the course develops. This knowledge means they become more highly motivated in helping their children and are able to encourage the child by stressing how far the child has come. It also means that where the child rapidly gains an understanding of a point, the parent is able to move forward in the book and find new work for the child, rather than having to abandon the work because he or she only has one or two pages photocopied from the Schools’ Edition.

Parents need no special knowledge of maths to be able to work on this book with their child, just a basic ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Parents will, however, need a supply of coloured counters for use within the multi-sensory activities.

The Parents’ Edition is available for £9.99 per copy plus postage of £3.95. Postage remains the same irrespective of the number of copies of the book ordered. Parents may order the book directly from First and Best or may of course place orders via the school. Because of the low cost of the book, this volume is not photocopiable, and orders must be accompanied by payment, except where the school is ordering five or more copies on behalf of parents, in which case we will invoice the school.

Order code:T1687 £9.99
Available as a spiral bound book.To see sample pages please click here.

  Counters For use with the Practical Activities book.  Available in bags of 80 counters - 2 each of red, yellow, blue and green.Order code: Counters £2.99 (Delivery charge £1.00)

  The Key to TimeTime is the ultimate sequence, and children who master the concept of time usually overcome all their problems with sequencing and also find many concepts in maths much easier to handle. Indeed it is noticeable that many children who have difficulties with maths also have particular difficulties with the concept of time. 

The Key to Time contains exercises and activities that are designed to overcome such problems and ensure that children have a full ability to handle all the concepts of time – from the passing of seasons to the use of the 24 hour clock and the reading of timetables.

The book contains a range of straightforward tests which will reveal where the child’s particular problems lie. This is followed by a series of activities covering all aspects of time. These activities can be undertaken in the classroom and can be photocopied and taken home. Indeed those children who are able to do five minutes homework a day on the subject of time will find that their understanding of time develops extremely quickly.

The book is available in photocopiable format which means that the activities can be shared with other staff in your department. It is also available as a Word document on CD Rom to enable you to print out sections as required.

Order code: T1712 £25.95
Available as a copiable book or on CD Rom. To see sample pages please click here.

  Maths for the Dyscalculic Pupil: Shapes, Percentages and Fractions

Dyscalculic pupils have a significant problem understanding mathematical concepts. These pupils can learn their way around maths if they are taught in a specific multi-sensory manner.

Our volume “Practical Activities for Children with Dyscalculia” uses this technique to teach such pupils the concepts of number and the four basic functions of mathematics. It is now used with thousands of children across the UK.

“Shapes, Percentages and Fractions” follows on from “Practical Activities” and uses the same multi-sensory techniques that have proved successful in the earlier book. As before the book comes as a photocopiable volume and requires no additional equipment or materials save for a collection of counters (also available from First and Best).

One of the huge benefits of this approach is that it not only works with children who have the genetic disorder which gives rise to dyscalculia, it also benefits those children who are failing to grasp mathematical concepts because of interrupted schooling, home problems or even a maths aversion which has developed because of early failure. Experience suggests that a short period of using multi-sensory techniques can be enough to overcome such problems and bring the pupil back to the class average.

Shapes, percentages and fractions can be used with secondary school pupils either within special needs lessons or at home with co-operative parents. Each activity within the book can be completed within a maximum of ten minutes, thus allowing the teacher or parent to stop the work the moment the child shows signs of maths-aversion, frustration or tiredness.

Order code: T1719  £25.95
Available as a copiable book or on CD RomTo see sample pages please click here