How important are interventions for dyscalculia in primary school? If we speak in terms of equality among human races, they are very important because primary school would be the basis of education before secondary school and higher education. In this article, we will provide you with information about interventions for dyscalculia in primary school.
This article is written as the third part of dyscalculia series. As the main topic, we will focus our explanation about interventions for dyscalculia, particularly in primary school.
Through this article, expectantly you will acquire beneficial information about dyscalculia.
We wish you a very happy learning!
Interventions for Dyscalculia in Primary School (study case in the United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) was introduced in 1998 and it has a positive impact, especially on literacy levels in primary school. This fact can be proven from the increasing number of children who leave primary school with higher in English or expected level of achievement. The number increased from 65 percent (1998) to 75 percent (2002).
This new strategy boosts children’s learning motivation through “phonics teaching”. Here, children are taught to identify individual phonemes and blend these phonemes into words.
In 1999, the National Numeracy Strategy was introduced. The result was as good as the National Literacy Strategy and has increased the standard significantly. The result can be seen from the increasing number of children who leave primary school with expected level of achievement in mathematics. The number increased from 59 percent (1998) to 73 percent (2002).
What created these successes? They relied on the prominence of a lively and interactive method in math learning and teaching as well as involving both small group and entire class discussion.
Three levels of support are included in both strategies, they are:
Wave 1 for the children who have problems with the standard lessons. These children can be put to small group interventions (Wave 2). Different schools may have different interventions. In Wave 2, they will repeat what they have learnt in the Wave 1 with a slower pace and more individual attention. If these children still have difficulties, they can be given individually-targeted Wave 3 intervention.
In the next article, we will write about interventions for dyscalculia in secondary school.
