How children become numerate
8 November 2024: 9 am – 12 noon
This session examines the key aspects of early numeracy that children with severe, complex and neurodiverse learning needs often struggle with, highlighting the foundational processes and skills necessary for developing a solid understanding of numbers. It focuses on the root concepts, such as number sense and counting, that underpin early mathematical learning and explores how to support these learners in grasping the basics.
By understanding these early numeracy challenges, you will develop practical strategies and resources you can adapt to meet learners’ unique needs.
In this session, you will learn about:
The roots of number sense: Understanding how children begin to make sense of numbers and their relationships forms the foundation for future mathematical learning.
The development and importance of subitising: Exploring how recognising small quantities instantly without counting (subitising) is a critical skill for developing early numeracy.
The principles and parts of counting: Unpacking the step-by-step process of how children learn to count, including one-to-one correspondence, cardinality, and the sequence of numbers.
These insights will highlight the tools needed to create engaging, effective teaching strategies that build a more inclusive and effective learning environment that supports each child’s individual numeracy development.
9 am Admission and virtual tea/coffee to start the session!
9:05 am Introduction and warm-up activity
9.15 am Session 1: About core knowledge and number sense
In this session, Les will introduce the ideas of Perceptual Subitising: which is how children become aware of number words, finger representations and the number line.
9.50 am Chat Task
10.00 am Session 2: More aspects of subitising
Next, Les will introduce the ideas of conceptual subitising, approximate number sense and Dyscalculia.
10.45 am Coffee
11:00 am Session 3: Understanding the purposes of counting
In this final session, Les will introduce the parts of counting and illustrate some aspects of the principles of counting
11.50 am Q & A
12 noon Plenary, thank you and goodbye!
This course will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and working with pupils with severe/complex learning needs and autism, or both.
Les Staves has worked with very special children since 1973 and was head teacher of Turnshaws, an outstanding special school for children with Severe or Complex Learning Difficulties in Kirklees, West Yorkshire.
Since 1999 he has been working as a consultant to Special Schools and has developed a national reputation for inspirational training.
He has written materials and delivered training for the National Numeracy Strategy and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
Les has written “The EQUALS Guide to Teaching Mathematics” (2009), which offers comprehensive guidance about interpreting the mathematics curriculum to develop appropriate learning for very special pupils.
His book “Mathematics for Children with Severe and Profound Learning Difficulties,” published by David Fulton, sold out its first print run in seven months and is now regarded as a classic.
All the resources from this event will be in your account at online.hirstwood.com. You will access these using the email address on the booking form and your password (instructions for creating your password are in the joining information).
Here you will find:
a digital recording of the event
resources shared or signposted during the session
a transcript of the Zoom chat
your certificate of attendance
These will be available for 10 days after the event.
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Each place costs £112.50 plus VAT.
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking. You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
NEW FOR 2024!
