Confidence 121 - Maths and English tuition with Catherine

Who knew there was a formulae for finding the surface area of a cylinder! This passed through my mind yesterday as I was watching the French countryside roll past yesterday, while travelling back to London, I couldn't help but notice all the hay bales! Suddenly I discovered myself wondering why the farmers used a cylindrical shape rather than a cuboid! And then my mind wandered back to teaching maths and my students (you can tell I am coming to the end of my holiday!)

Long formula are particularly hard for students with dyscalculia to remember and make sense of. Having different letters, which they can't find on a calculator, can cause a lot of confusion. And circles and cylinders are some of the hardest for them.

But there is a different way. Students with dyscalculia have a lot of skills and most are have a great visual understanding of shape. Rather than try to learn lots of different formula, we focus on key shapes and then work out everything else from those using logic. And it works!

It's the same for positive and negative integers - there's a different way to teach it that is visual and creative and... it works! Every child that I have taught this way has been able to understand and calculate with positive and negative numbers. If you'd like to help your child with this challenging topic, write 'negative' underneath and I'll send you the link to my workbook.

Sometimes it doesn’t surprise me that students are so confused about positive and negative numbers. There are so many different analogies that have been used but I think the strangest one that I’ve heard is about having good and bad days and how, if you take away a bad day it turns into a good day.

For students with dyscalculia, these analogies really don’t help and just aid their confusion.

By using red and yellow counters, struggling students have had great success in understanding the abstract concepts in positive and negative numbers.

Does it feel like you have tried absolutely everything and still your child cannot remember basic maths facts?

I hear this a lot from parents I work with.

But... here's the truth.

Your child can learn maths but they probably need to be taught in a different way, using manipulatives (maths equipment), making use of their visual and creative side.

If your child has struggled, finding a tutor who can teach differently, can make all the difference. That's why I have created a workbook specifically for students with dyscalculia and other maths learning difficulties for you to help your child understand positive and negative integers in a visual way.

Comment negative if you'd like to find out more.

Does your child forget their maths facts quickly?

Does it seem like each time they look at maths work, they are looking at it for the first time?

This is common and is part of dyscalculia. Your child is not lazy or not trying. They have forgotten and it is just how their brain works.

It’s important when a child has dyscalculia that they are given lots of opportunities for practicing the maths skills but not through pages and pages of worksheets and rote learning.

Learning through using maths equipment and practising through playing games will make a difference and be more fun. But only for very short bursts at a time.

Have you just received your child’s end of semester report? Are they struggling a bit with maths and finding negative integers challenging?

If so, this workbook could be perfect for them! Making use of visual strategies rather than keeping maths abstract, this tried and tested step by step guide to working with positive and negative integers is suitable for students in yrs 7 and 8 as well as students with dyscalculia, maths anxiety and other maths learning difficulties.

Comment ‘negative’ below, and I’ll send you the link to start getting your child back on track with their maths.

Do you have a child or student in yr 7 or 8 who is struggling with negative integers?

Positive and negative integers is a fundamental topic in high school, underpinning work on algebra , equations and linear relationships. Without confidence using and calculating with negative integers, many students start to find maths more challenging.

This workbook and revision guide presents the topic in a very visual way, making use of students visual and creative strengths.

These tried and tested strategies work for students with dyscalculia and other maths learning difficulties. If you want to see your struggling child or student finally ‘get’ negative integers, then this is the book for them.

Comment 'negative' below and I'll send through the link.

How many times have you tried to help your child with their number facts or times tables only to be met with a blank look?

Often this gets mistaken for laziness, a lack of effort or simply not listening and trying. However, this is not true. All the students I have met with dyscalculia, put so much effort into their learning, really want to do well and try so hard. But, without regular reminders, maths concepts feel like they have never seen it before. Even something that made sense a few moments ago, can disappear.

When I meet a student with dyscalculia or suspected dyscalculia, I tell them that I don’t expect them to remember what I am teaching them. By taking the pressure off them, it really does make a difference. They are able to concentrate on the maths we are covering rather than worrying about if they can remember it later.

Also, I make use of visual strategies, using maths equipment and practise concepts and calculations through playing games. I also encourage my students to do a little bit of practice as often as I can - a maximum of 5 minutes can make a huge difference to the forgetting.

Students with dyscalculia can succeed if they have the right teaching and support. I’ve created a visual workbook for yr 7 and 8 (and older) using these strategies - they are tried and tested with my students. This workbook is not just a load of worksheets but step by step guides to take them through the topic, building confidence as they go.

Comment ‘negative’ if you’d like the link.

Now available: The Positive and Negative Integers Workbook and Revision Guide

Written for struggling students

Filled with visual strategies including worked examples

Includes answers for easy review

Grab your copy here: https://workbook.confidence121.com/home

If you know a child or student in yr 7 or 8 who is finding maths overwhelming, this was made for them!

A yr 8 student, diagnosed with dyscalculia, had her first tutoring session on positive and negative integers. She had been studying this is class and it wasn’t making any sense at all. She had no confidence and visibly very anxious.

I taught her the exact strategies that are in the workbook and, within 30 minutes, adding positive and negative integers was making sense to her.

The use of double-sided counters to represent the positive and negative numbers really made sense to her.

If your child is in yr 7 or 8 and struggling to understand positive and negative integers, perhaps a different way of looking at them will make the difference.

My workbook has been tried and tested with many students, including students with dyscalculia and other learning difficulties and makes use of students visual and creative strengths.

Copies are available for purchase in the link below: https://workbook.confidence121.com/home

This week, I’ve had two enquiries who wanted their child to attend a group session trial. For both of them, I responded that this week wouldn’t be a good idea.

Why?

Firstly, it is the end of the term and students are tired and ready to go on holiday - especially if they are about to travel abroad.

Secondly, I aim to set your child up for success. In our group sessions we have been studying the same topic all term. This means that if someone comes in for the last session, rather than having a good experience, they may well feel lost and if they can see other students understanding and feeling confident.

My aim, for all students that I work with, is for them to have positive maths experiences. For me, this also includes when they join a group session and whether they will be a good fit in the group. I truly believe that the best learning takes place when children feel safe, comfortable and happy.