About Beat Dyscalculia

Resources from Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus Ltd

Nov 13 2013

How Beat Dyscalculia Fits The New Numeracy Curriculum

Resources from Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus LtdWe’re currently working our way through the Government’s proposals for a new Numeracy Curriculum in Primary Schools and are pleased to announce that Beat Dyscalculia can be used to teach everything except mass, weights, capacity and volume measurements and geometry.

In fact, our multi-sensory approach takes the more abstract elements of numeracy that aren’t naturally multi-sensory (unlike weighing or measuring something) and makes them concrete, fun and easy for children to investigate and understand.  It focusses on many of the aims of the new curriculum including

  • making sure that children are fluent in the fundamentals of maths,
  • that they can reason and solve problems for themselves,
  • and that they work at their own pace and consolidate understanding before moving on
  • and in fact it also meets some of the literacy objectives by including stories, songs and poems and focussing on the language of numbers and maths

We’ve created a table (downloadable as a pdf below) showing how Beat Dyscalculia can be used to teach the Year 1 curriculum and will add tables for the other years as and when we’ve completed them.

How Beat Dyscalculia Meets The New Curriculum for Numeracy in Year 1 (pdf)

For further information on how to use Beat Dyscalculia in your particular educational setting, please contact us.

 

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A Primary School Child Using Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus Ltd

Sep 26 2013

Outstanding Schools Improve Results With Beat Dyscalculia!

A Primary School Child Using Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus LtdOver recent months we’ve been contacted by a growing number of Primary schools who:

  • get great SATs results
  • have been graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted
  • are Centres of Excellence
  • and generally have consistent success in numeracy with the majority of their pupils
  • but who are now looking for ways to work with the 4 or 5 pupils in each year group who struggle to reach the targets set for them

As a result, we’re now working with the Maths Co-ordinators in these schools to implement Beat Dyscalculia, not as a separate intervention, but in the classroom as part of numeracy lessons.

Co-creator of Beat Dyscalculia, Celia Stone said that, ‘These schools have recognised that making a child sit through a numeracy lesson they’re struggling with and then taking them out of class to do even more maths, can feel more like torture rather than a strategy designed to help.  What does work, however, is fundamentally changing numeracy lessons for these children: Going back to the beginning and teach them in a different way.  This can be done in a small group in the classroom as part of the numeracy lesson.  Using Beat Dyscalculia to do this will rebuild strong foundations and confidence and improve understanding.  Children will then be able to move onto more complex mathematical concepts and tasks with ease, and slot back into the main lesson when they’re ready.  Our evidence shows that children can improve by 3 or 4 sub-levels in as little as 10 sessions.

‘These schools are tending to buy 1 pack per class or year group and are undertaking training with us, so that this strategy can be implemented throughout the school where needed.

‘We’re also finding that some teachers are choosing to  use the resources in their Beat Dyscalculia packs to demonstrate certain concepts such as fractions in a more visual, physical and memorable way for the whole class.’

To find out more about our Beat Dyscalculia packs and how to buy them, see out How To Buy page, or find out more about our combined packages of packs and training.

 

 

 

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Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus, Pack 2

Nov 13 2013

More Things To Do With Your Pack 2 Resources: Card Games

Five Games for Playing with Hedgehog Number Cards

Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus, Pack 2Here are some additional games to play with your Hedgehog Cards from Beat Dyscalculia Pack 2.  These are designed to build confidence, check understanding, and let children get used to playing with and using numbers and help them practise:

  • Recognition of numbers 1 to 100
  • Reading numbers in ascending, descending and random order
  • Basic functions
  • Times tables
  • Mental maths
  • Numeracy language, speaking and listening

GAME ONE

  1. Deal 10 cards to each child, one gets numbers 1 to 10; the next numbers 11 to 20, the next 21 to 30 etc.
  2. Ask children to:
  • Arrange and read the cards in ascending order
  • Arrange and read the cards in descending order
  • Shuffle the cards and read in random order
  • Place shuffled cards face-down on the table and on the signal, pick up cards, read them and place them in the approximate position which will enable the whole set to be arranged in ascending order

3. Swap cards with someone and repeat

GAME TWO

As game one, but use cards that are not in sequence (e.g. 7, 18, 35, 68, 12, 49, 3, 55, 74, 92)

GAME THREE

  1. Choose a selection of cards, depending on the ability of the child (e.g. numbers 1 to 10 or 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or the teen numbers or a random selection of higher numbers) and place them in a stack in the middle of the table.
  2. Prepare another pack of “challenge” cards (which reflect the stage and ability of the child or children), with functions on them such as:
  • Cards from Pack 2, Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus+10
  • +0
  • +20
  • x 1
  •  x 2
  • – 1
  • – 10
  • + 5
  • + 9
  • x 0
  • Divide by 1
  • Divide by 2
  • Halve
  • Double
  • Treble

3. Deal a hedgehog card to each child.

4. Turn over the first challenge card

5. Children work out their answer and then indicate when they have it.

6. Pupils get 1 point for a correct answer and an extra point for speed.

7. When pupils have worked through these they can be shuffled and turned over and the game can continue

GAME FOUR

  1. Use numbers 1 to 10 or 12 to practice times tables using times tables cards (as demonstrated at the front of Book Two)

GAME FIVE

  1. Arrange the cards from 1 to 20 in order, 1 to 10 on the first row and 11 to 20 on the second row (can be done up to 24 if required)
  2. Children now pick up the multiples of 2 (i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc) and arrange them in order across the table
  3. Pointing to the 2 they say 1 two is 2; 2 twos are 4 etc
  4. Next they scatter them on the table at random and the teacher asks, “How many twos in 8?” etc
  5. Repeat for other multiplication tables using additional rows of numbers (e.g. for x4 your will need the numbers 1 to 40, or 48 if doing 12×4)

To find out more about Beat Dyscalculia or to get more ideas or training.  Please contact us.

 

 

 

 

 

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Oct 24 2013

Problems with filling in the missing number questions

I have been thinking again about problems with the empty box calculations and came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to practise with the children using the reading pack sentence cards and a blank card to replace the empty box, before giving them the written work. This would get them prepared.

So when making sentences you would do lots of:

2+3=5;     3+2=5;     5=3+2;     5=2+3

Now place the blank card on top of one of the numbers and say, “What am I hiding?”

“What is the “something”  under here?”

2+?(blank card;) =5;     ?+3=5;     5=3+?;     5= ?+2;     ? =2+3      ?=3+2

Follow with 

5-3=2        5-2=3         3=5-2        2=5-3

5- ? =2        5-?=3         3=?-2        2=?-3

Then progress to the written exercises in the book

Just thought of that!!  It’s hot off the press!!  

So I hope it helps.

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Jul 18 2013

About Beat Dyscalculia – What is a Stringalong?

What is a stringalong?

A stringalong is a physical representation of a particular number.  (What number or numbers have you got?) They are designed to help children learn in a fun way, combining visual, physical and auditory learning to play to their individual strengths and learning styles. Each stringalong can be used on its own or with other stringalongs to demonstrate basic mathematical concepts and build good foundations for learning.  The cubes can be manipulated along the strings to show different things and help children explore, understand, visualise and remember.  A zero stringalong is particularly useful!

discoveryWhy is my stringalong coloured?

Each coloured string corresponds to a number in the Beat Dyscalculia multi-sensory programme and each cube represents a unit.   We use the colours of the rainbow to help children identify and remember each number.  The cubes themselves aren’t coloured to show that each unit is the same.

How many ways can a stringalong be used?

Stringalongs can be used in at least 10 different ways as part of our structured multi-sensory numeracy programme.  Why don’t you try them for yourself (and let us know if you come up with any other ideas!).  These are:

  1. Odd and Even Numbers – put all the cubes in the middle and then try and move them 1 at a time so that you have the same number at each end.  If you end up with 1 cube left in the middle it’s an odd number and if you can divide them equally between both ends, it’s an even number.

  2. Addition – divide the cubes on your stringalong into 2 and then add the 2 numbers together by counting them and pushing them together again.  For example, if you have a 5 stringalong, split the cubes into groups of 2 and 3 and then add them together to make 5.  If you have more than 1 stringalong you can tie them together to add them.  For example, if you have a 2 stringalong and a 3 stringalong, you can tie them together and then count the cubes to make 5.

  3. Subtraction – you can do subtraction by doing the reverse of addition above – i.e. again with a 5 stringalong, you can do the sum 5-3 by moving 3 cubes to 1 end of the string and counting how many cubes you have left.

  4. Number Bonds – split the cubes on your stringalong into as many different number pairs as you can.

  5. Multiplication – with a 6 stringalong you can demonstrate that 3 lots of 2 make 6 or 2 lots of 3 make 6.

  6. Division – as multiplication, above.

  7. Remainders – as with odd and even, you can demonstrate that when you divide some numbers you are left with a remainder.

  8. Bigger Numbers – you can use multiple stringalongs, including 10 stringalongs (silver strings) to can show the difference between ‘teen’ and ‘ty’ numbers.  For example, thirteen with be a 10 and a 3, whereas thirty will be 3 lots of 10 stringalongs.

  9. Essential Vocabulary – a set of stringalongs can be used to help teach measuring and vocabulary such as short, shorter, shortest, long, longer, longest.

  10. Co-ordination and Motor Skills – constructing the stringalongs can help with co-ordination and motor skills, following instructions, distinguishing left and right and vertical and horizontal.

How Do I Find Out More?

pack1Stringalongs are just one of the items in our Beat Dyscalculia packs, which use a combination of workbooks, songs, poems, stories, and specially designed tools and resources.  These all work together using the same structure, colours and concepts, to create a ‘complete multi-sensory maths programme in a box’.

Our Pupil Premium special offers allow you to create a package of training and boxes to suit your school and needs for the cost of a Pupil Premium, Summer School Premium, or Year 7 Catch-Up Premium.  Find out more about our Primary School special offers here, and our Secondary School special offers here.  

To find out more about the packs and what’s included, take a look at How To Buy, or contact us on 01943 871902, c.stone@addacus.co.uk.

Beat Dyscalculia can be used to teach numeracy to children of all ages and abilities, but is specifically designed as an intervention programme for children in Key Stage 1 and 2 who are struggling with the core curriculum.  It is particularly effective for those with dyscalculia, dyslexia and autism.  It has also been used with children in Key Stage 3 who are working below the expected levels.  To find out more about our programme and how it works, take a look at What is Beat Dyscalculia?

The programme and all the resources have been created by Celia Stone and Myra Nicholson, who are both teachers with over 50 years’ experience of teaching children with special needs and two of the co-creators of Beat Dyslexia.  To find out more about them, take a look at About Us.

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