Wave Three Provision • Working With The Box

The Box can be used in three ways

  1. as individual 1:1 Wave Three support for children who need on-going extra teaching for basic maths skills
  2. for supporting small groups of children who are not yet able to work with abstract concepts during the daily maths lesson
  3. as a second start programme for junior age / second language children

Individual children

  • Need 1:1 time - shared time, even with 2 children, means that 1 child is always less able and is still seeing themselves as less able.

  • Regular / daily practice of known skills allows time for skills and knowledge to be transferred to long term memory

  • Introduction of new skills:

    • New skills are only gradually added to the known, and introduced in very small steps.

    • The Programme Guide enables children to work from a confidence level and take small steps forward building on knowledge.

  • All teaching and reinforcement is multi-sensory: hear, see, say, feel and write.

  • Children are encouraged to talk about their understanding, difficulties, and use key vocabulary. Key vocabulary is included on every page to ensure that children hear support staff using the vocabulary, and have an opportunity to use the vocabulary back

Second language children

  • Vocabulary and language associated with number is vital for understanding instructions, problem solving, explanations – these children need individual time to acquire and use maths language

  • Teaching continues until children have learned basic maths skills for number, time, money, measuring, shape, there is no fixed or expected length of time for a child to remain on The Box

Dyscalculia

  • Specific Learning Difficulties can affect a child’s ability to acquire maths skills, and appropriate multi-sensory teaching needs to be in place before children fail at maths, or become disenchanted with maths

  • For some children, the difficulties are developmental and are overcome given time. Those children who need on-going help and continued access to concrete materials will benefit from having already had quality multi-sensory teaching and a structured programme on a regular basis.