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CYNTHIA PELMAN (WWW.CYNTHIAPELMAN.COM) IS A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPIST IN LONDON. SHE HAS OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, A MASTERS DEGREE IN TEACHING CHILDREN WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH, AND A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS. A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO SPEECH & LANGUAGE THERAPY IN PRACTICE, SHE RECOMMENDS STERN STRUCTURAL ARITHMETIC AS AN APPROACH THAT GOES FAR BEYOND MATHS. PICTURES ARE COURTESY OF VIKKI HORNER.

Maths vocabulary The vocabulary of maths is complex and abstract and presents a real challenge for school children with language delay. For example, under, which in the early years of language development usually refers to under the table, must be re-learned to signify the number which is lower down on a page and below a little line. Take away, when taught with number lines, means move to the left. How is the child to make sense of such ambiguous and abstract vocabulary? While most clinicians would agree that the concepts and vocabulary of maths present a challenge to both clinician and student, there is not a lot of agreement as to how we can mediate this to our children. Teaching method Over the past few months, after an inspiring one day training course, I have been using Stern Maths, or Structural Arithmetic, a maths teaching method used with children with special educational needs. It has given me an innovative and developmentally sound way to teach the language of maths, as well as providing a wonderful tool to use in small group work to develop attention, listening and turn-taking. The method was developed from the 1920s by Catherine Stern and is grounded in Piagets developmental theory, and Gestalt psychology. It therefore works to promote a wide range of cognitive functions: attention, comparison, spatial perception, inter-sensory organisation, sequencing, and visual and auditory processing. The kit and handbooks have now been re-issued in the UK. Multi-sensory The method works through very concrete and tactile materials which provide the child with multisensory experiences of the operations of mathematics. The equipment consists of a series of beautifully constructed wooden blocks and puzzle boards which can be fitted together in a range of combinations. I can therefore show a child in a very visual and concrete way that the 8 block and the 2 block can join together

to fill up a certain space, and whether we put the 2 block or the 8 block on the left or right makes no difference; they still fit into the same space (a space into which I can also fit a 10 block or two 5 blocks). In this way we have shown the child that 8+2 = 2+8 (commutativity) as well as 8+2= 5+5, without having mentioned the linguistically and cognitively complex concepts of plus, add, or equals. Take away (often used by teachers as a synonym for subtract) is easily understood when the child actually takes away an 8 block and sees how the 10-slot is almost empty. Concrete before abstract In the initial stages I do not refer to the numerals at all but call them the grey block and the blue block. The number names and their written symbols - in themselves abstract and difficult to grasp - are only introduced once the child has experimented successfully, and understood, the various concrete combinations. Similarly, the formal names for mathematical operations are introduced only after the child has had ample time and success in experimenting with different combinations and comparisons. Concepts of comparison (same, nearly the same, bigger, smaller) and of categorisation (all the blue ones, all the big ones, all those which fit into the 9 box) are thus easily demonstrated through attractive, sturdy and enjoyable materials. It makes a real change from working with pictures! Group skills The added bonus of working in a way which engages childrens attention so thoroughly is that we can have some very extensive conversations about different ways to solve the problems. The handbook includes some really good ideas for using the materials in small groups to work on attention, conversation skills and turn-taking. The kit includes an outstandingly wellprepared booklet which gives step by step

practical guidance (including very clear photographs of the equipment being used), as well as suggestions for additional games which can be played to develop these cognitive functions and their associated language still further.

Common ground I often find that teachers see what they do and what speech and language therapists do as two completely different things. Working on maths, which is traditionally the teachers area, is a good way to give both groups common ground for discussion and understanding. AVAILABILITY I have found this kit an excellent tool to add to my basic kit for development of abstract concepts and vocabulary, and it has become one of the most popular games in my groups. The materials can be bought and viewed online at www.mathsextra.com, and the developer and trainer, Vikki, can be contacted on 01747 861503 or vikki.horner@mathsextra.com.

Maths Extra would like to offer a special 10% discount to Speech & Language Therapy in Practice readers who order Stern Structural Arithmetic products online at www.mathsextra.com. To receive this discount please quote: SLTPSA11.