How can I help DD2 - what would you do?

[lougle]

DD2 is struggling with maths.

She's been doing 'bridging through 10', but clearly doesn't understand what she's doing when she bridges to 10. She plucks numbers out of the air. She said 'It was really tricky and I couldn't have help from because I've had too much help already. I've got another page to do in class and that's even trickier.'

I found a bridging through 10 game on the internet, which she enjoyed (because the spaceman jumps towards the rocket, then the rocket flies off into space) but she was clearly guessing the numbers.

I asked her today whether she'd done more bridging through 10 and she said:

'No. Yesterday we were 'trying to decide the right strategy to use.'
Me: 'Ok, what was the problem you were doing?'
DD2: 'There was no problem.'
Me: 'Sorry, DD2, I mean 'what sums were you doing.'
DD2: 'Starting with 9 and adding different numbers, or starting with different numbers and adding 9.'
Me: 'Ok, how did that go?'
DD2: 'A bit easier - I did have help from quite a lot. I got them all wrong though.'
Me: 'Oh, why?'
DD2: 'Well I was trying to decide which club is the best: Mrs H (ELSA) or Dragonflies. But it's a very tricky decision, so it was very difficult. But I did think about it quietly.'
Me: 'Weren't you meant to be doing maths?'
DD2: 'Yes, but the decision was tricky and it took a long time to think about.'
Me: 'Right What did you decide?'
DD2: 'I didn't decide, it was too tricky.'

So, I said to the SENCO that she's struggling, I don't think she gets the concepts and she's an explicit learner, so should I be breaking it all down and try to teach her it at home, or let the teacher get on with it in class?

The SENCO said not to teach her at home because it may confuse her and the teacher knows where DD2 is 'at' with it, plus she worries that it might create more pressure. She commented that 'DD2 isn't even there, is she' when I relayed my conversation this morning.

My issue is that DD2 knows her number bonds to 10. She doesn't know how that connects to bridging through 10. She doesn't know what she's doing. Or why she's doing it.

DD2 will not learn by exposure and osmosis!

So...what do I do? Sit back and allow her to stagnate? She's going to really struggle.

Aw, she's lovely. She sounds really happy too.

Yes, she really is. She came home with two stickers on her chest today. A head teacher's award sticker for doing her work independently (Sensible school - the child gets a sticker and the work gets a sticker), and a sticker from the HT for eating all her lunch.

One of her PSE targets for this coming year is 'to accept constructive criticism without getting emotional.' Good luck, then...

lougle - no choice! I deregged a while back (which clearly worked )

he can move his tongue around - he doesn't tend to lick around his mouth, but I don't think he has hugely reduced movement. he had a late tongue tie separation, which seemed reasonably successful. he can chew well, and move food around his mouth (when he deigns to put it in his mouth!)

thinking about it, he can definitely get his tongue to his lips at least - he has made good 'burbling' sounds in the past.

he has good intonation too - he will come out with long 'sentences' which obviously have meaning, and his pitch/intonation variation is good.

You're describing my ds right?

x-posts. oh, lougle, how fab are those answers? wow. jsut wow.

I love the children's view partof annual review. dd1 chooses photos from across theyear to represent her views, and it can be quite interestign to see what she thinks is important to include

Aw, New You must have missed us............

My ds' was 'interesting'.

He said the worst thing about school was that x was always hitting y, every day and the teachers didn't do anything.

Those are all really positive things. For both of you.

But you're both concerned about consonant production, right? Or is that just NewBlue?

I hope that you do get seen, Star, if nothing else but for your own peace of mind that your DS is thoroughly assessed, whatever the outcome.

He said PE made him unhappy and Running made him happy.

He said his favourite lesson was snack time.

DS' tie is very pronounced and yet, he can still get his tongue right out and over his top lip.

He does natter but I think his sounds are very limited. He sings a lot, especially 'abby berbay boo boo'. his b's are coming along.....

Wow, Star. Good that the school kept that in, though, to their credit.

Interesting contrast between PE and running...I wonder what is unhappy about PE if he likes exercise (running). Hmm...

I love the favourite lesson is snack time

Good that your DS2 can get his tongue out and over his lip. Great that he's babbling tunefully too.

I said to DD2 today:

What did you do in dragonflies today?

'I had free choice of play.'

So what did you do?

'Durrrrr...free . choice . '

Yes, but what did you choose, DD2??

'Ohhh...lego and cars.'

dd2 had a pronounced tongue tie too (not separated). she has always been able to stick tongue out etc, and it certainly didn't stop her talking!

ds' issues seem to come more from the lack of use of facial muscles - he looks really 'frozen' around his top lip/nose/cheeks, and doesn't move his lips much - rather than any tongue/interior mouth issues.

he can say 'd', and a soft 't' (for 'tettttth' when cleaning teeth). In th elast couple of days I have been able to get him to make a 'muh' sound by getting him to imitate blowing an exaggerated kiss. and today he managed a 'fff' (for 'woof' (or rather, 'uff') when he copied me making 'woof' sounds. and that's about it, tbh.

vowel-wise he has a/u/ah/uh down to a tee and has recently added 'eeee' (for 'wheeeee' - aha! another consonant, but only in that context). and that's it.

The school didn't write it. I did because it was to be completed at home and that is what he said.

I think snack time IS a kind of lesson though. Special schools are like that aren't they. I mean social learning opportunities ARE planned.

DS says that about numeracy. I say 'what did you do in numeracy today?' and he says 'numeracy' as if to say 'what else could I possibly have been doing?'

But again, it is a language/social issue because you and I would consider what it was the other person was ACTUALLY asking, or at least we would shape our answer based on what we considered the other person wanted to hear from us, rather than absolutes iyswim.

Oh that's interesting that you had to fill it in. DD1's was done with a teacher who doesn't normally teach her.

Yes, I agree that the very literal answer is the language social thingy.

Ok, I'm going to update, but I need photos. But I want the record on here....mmm.

OK, the update is that I made some resources that DD2 seemed to get on really well with. Very simple - printed paper stuck to a cereal packet box to stiffen. She got the process of bridging through 10 instantly with it. Then cried when I took the resources away and asked her to try without them

That's a great result, right??

I didn't video because I didn't want to stress her/alter her reaction. I might sneak a video session in though, later.

Ok...posting in the Goose and Carrot to show you my (very simple boring) home made resource

Very impressive! And your dd2's response was very informative. I think you should feed it back to her teacher.

Hmm...not sure I can just yet, Handy.

Firstly, I expect the SENCO mentioned our conversation, in which she said not to do anything with DD2 except number bonds to 10. So I've gone against her advice.

Secondly, I haven't discussed this with her class teacher at present.

I suppose though, if DD2 mentioned it to her teaching assistant, it might filter through.