Oliver

First teaching session - 14th September 2011

One of my first tasks was to begin developing Oliver's time telling skills, now fifteen he really does need to have this skill in place. To do this, I use the Charlotte Clock because it was built around the Down syndrome and SEN learning profile. We begin with digital time, mastering this to 90% accuracy before moving on to analogue format. During our first meeting Oliver's mum told me he has recognised the quarter and the half past positions on occasion but has no understanding of the concept of time. So this will be great when moving to work with analogue time.

Quickly then, let's look at the face. There are two sets of numerals, clock hands are labelled - 'hour' and 'minute' . We use a three step method to begin with which quickly consolidates to two steps then I find, as was the case with Oliver, that children mostly look and read the time. Using the practice clock (same face), after talking about the elements on the face, and how to set moments of time, Oliver got to work: 2:10 Oliver placed the hour hand at 2 (black) and the minute hand at 10 (red), then was encouraged to say the two numbers together 2 10, then to put it into a time context..."So the time is 2:10." Next, 2:45 hands placed correctly, then read together 2 45 (it is important to point to each number as a prompt). "So the time is....?"

Because Oliver has not been exposed to numbers in the higher decades, he found it tricky to name some of them so I would say a number first. He soon got the hang of naming the red numerals to 60.

Further, I have a working clock (same face) on the wall opposite to where the pupil sits, where I monitor the time to give him reading opportunities at precise five minute points. Mum also has a working and practice clock at home so Oliver can practice between sessions. School too is using the same resource and provides more practice during his numeracy sessions two days a week. This arrangement seems to be working well. I was very pleased with his initial readings, Well done Ollie!

Next, we moved to work with numbers to 10

There is a lot to be learned about numbers before a child knows what they are and what can be done with them! For example 'size' 'position' 'relationships' 'number properties' and 'number concepts' number bonds, number facts to 10, There are 120 addition and subtraction facts with numbers up to 10. Who has fogotten this???

The easiest 'tool' I have used with children with SEN in building up this knowledge, is the Counting Board filled with graded unit blocks to 10. There is a special place for the numerals or number markers 1, 2, 3, 4, to 10 (see photo), but first we work with only the block representations to gather information about each block. Understanding relationships is a crucial building block, so is developing a child's natural sense of numbers.

Differentiation

In school when helping children with SEN to understand numbers, learning is differentiated to accommodate the difficulties by making the tasks smaller or simpler and often involves working with number 1 to 3 or 1 to 5 only. How can the relationships taking place with the whole series to 10 then be seen or grasped? How would a child see that 5 is in the middle of the series, or which consitutes the small numbers and those that are bigger? What about knowing that 4 comes before 5 and is one unit smaller, or that 5 comes after 4 and is one unit bigger? How would this information be learnt from using numeral cards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., where there are no clues as to the size, position, quantity, oddness, or evenness for example?

The Stern programme is totally differentiated in the way it is taught and through the small step progression, as well as the apparatus. These aspects enable children to work with all numbers to 10 (representations) simultaneously. The differentatiion is done like this; a task is set with a single focus, the objective here is learning about 'SIZE', Therefore, matching blocks to empty grooves is simple, meaningful and easily within the capability of ALL children, but there is more...... Whilst doing this children are developing their ability to scan and judge 'sizes'. They repeat this action ten times thus introducing repetition. A further aspect is in developing a child's reasoning ability and making the task as independent as possible. To do this, the child learns to self-correct any action when necessary WITHOUT the parent or teacher saying it's too big, you need a smaller one..... . When placing a block that is too big into the groove, the immediate visual feedback speaks to the child. they can see why it does not fit, and often a child will say it's too big, I need one less, or a smaller one. If the placed block was too small they can see the gap. This visual cue leads them to try other blocks until they are successful. Errorless learning! The confidence boost that follows can sometimes be imeasurable.

As well as this there are other aspects that children are exposed to such as seeing 'small' blocks 'living' at the beginning and 'big' ones at the end. The biggest block comes last, the smallest one comes first. Then the next smallest, and the next, and so forth. All these facts are EXPLICIT. In contrast to working with numerals 1 to 10, or when counting, or when working with groups of teddies or other objects. A large part is due to the structure of the devices, because all Stern equipment is designed to make the learning as certain as possible.

Oliver wizzed through this task, with the occasional self-correcting. The prompts from me were, "Oh does it fit?" "NO" "Okay try another one." Children find this unthreatening and very satisfying! Moving on to an in dependent task, I asked Oliver to put the blocks in the board in order from the smallest to the biggest - first part of sequencing by size. I placed the 1-block in the board to start him off. He did this with great concentration, with a couple of self-corrections (better they do this for themselves than their teaching assistant!). The objective here it to encourage children to reason for themselves. Everything stays put no matter how long it takes a child to process a piece of information or complete a task. Oliver then decided to repeat this task starting with the biggest block working down to the smallest one! marvellous...

Early Vocabulary

I wanted to see if Oliver's understanding of positional vocabulary was secure or indeed transferring to our situation. I placed the 1-block into the board and asked which comes next, and the next, and the next, each time Oliver selected the correct sized block. The accuracy of this task comes from the 'measuring' of the empty groove with his eyes, then scanning (discriminating) for a block of the same length. The repetition that comes from doing this with all ten numbers, allowing the meaning behind the word to be 'seen' and 'felt'. With the second round I introduced the word 'after' in the same way, as well as the 'next biggest' and the 'next smallest'.

The follow-on Blog looks at how we can adjust the programme to accommodate an older pupil, as well as the pattern work we did together and with getting to grips with the bonds of 10. See you soon!