Mathematics and communication difficulties at P level 4-5

Read the section on communication difficulties that applies across subject areas and levels for an explanation of the main issues.

The challenge as the child moves to P level 5 is to build up a bigger vocabulary and to understand the concepts of counting and numbers in context.

You can

• Develop early maths concepts through practical experiences. The challenges for a child with communication difficulties are to understand terminology and concepts, within the limits of their use of language.
• Introduce new words gradually and in context. Encourage the child to show a consistent yes/no response and to make choices. Introduce new words to their choice-making where relevant. Ensure vocabulary is understood before moving on and revisit and repeat new vocabulary.
• Enable the child to communicate more sophisticated ideas by asking questions that lead to more profound understanding, even if they reply using yes and no.
• Use topics that are of interest to the child; try to motivate them in the context of the curriculum.
• If a child is being supported through speech and language therapy, make sure all staff are aware and can reinforce it through practice.
• For all children with communication difficulties, especially the child who is verbal but struggles to understand concepts, support their learning with visual clues and as much of a multisensory approach as possible.