Special Needs
Numicon’s approach is inclusive with ideas and activities to encourage mathematical thinking in advanced learners as well as those who are still at an early stage in their number understanding.
Numicon’s strong visual imagery with emphasis on pattern, multi-sensory approach and ‘small steps’ teaching programme is proving successful for pupils with many different special needs including Down syndrome, Autism and Dyslexia, many of whom have short-term and auditory memory difficulties. The multi-sensory activities are also suitable for pupils with sensory impairment.
Independent research in several different Local Authorities using Numicon for Wave 3 provision in Key Stage 2, shows significantly raised achievement in maths and a striking increase in children’s confidence. This has reflected in other curriculum areas and improved general behaviour. For further details see Research
Pupils with working memory difficulties are particularly well supported by the visual imagery and the small steps approach. It is used successfully to support children of all ages with special needs including sensory impairment, Down syndrome, and Dyslexia.
Learning Support Teaching
SENCOs, Support Teachers and Teaching Assistants using Numicon for Learning Support report a marked improvement in children's confidence and significant raising of achievement. Numicon is suitable for all children who are experiencing greater difficulty in maths than other children of similar age including those with special needs.
Closing the Gap is suitable for use as a Learning Intervention Programme and also for pupils who have special needs. The teaching materials offer practical solutions to pupils’ difficulties to support teachers in their assessment, planning and teaching. The programme of small-step teaching follows the typical acquisition of early number skills, addressing the acquisition of numerosity (awareness of the number of objects in a set), counting, the ability to recognise and exploit pattern, and early computation.
What to order?
When approaching Numicon for the first time, it is vital that children of any age must first be competent with the activities in Closing the Gap before moving on to the calculating in Kits 1 and 2. Closing the Gap has very small steps as well as extension for older children, with substantial teaching guidance written by expert special needs consultant Simeon Elliott. This kit is not age specific i.e. there are no photographs of young children in the illustrations for the teaching activities. Where pupils are finding maths difficult the Assessment section included in Kit 1 will help to assess where to start pupils on the teaching programme, and these make reference to the Closing the Gap Activity Cards.
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Additional Numicon teaching materials, ideas and resources to help you get more from Numicon.
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Derive the maximum benefit from Numicon through our improved professional development
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Create a number-rich environment and make a Numicon Numeracy wall display.
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