Understanding number and mathematics
Primary skills list
The lists below for number, money, time, other measurements,
shape, place and data, summarise the skills and concepts that teenagers with Down
syndrome are likely to continue to learn about in secondary school. These are followed
by an advanced skills list. The items in each list are not strictly in the order
in which they will be learned. This will vary for individuals - some of the targets
will be learned gradually over many years. The authors have selected some skills
(in bold type) as particularly important achievements, as they each represent a
significant step forward in understanding and using number.
Number
- Reading numerals 1 to 10
- Reliable counting to 10
- Counting principles to cardinality - 'how many?'
- More, less
- Reliable counting to 20
- Order amounts
- One more, one less
- Bigger, smaller
- Recognise and understand 0
- Read, write and order numbers 0 to 20
- Count backwards to 0
- Count on
- Count back
- Use ruler
- Use calculator
- Begin to add and take away
- Recognise and name signs for +, - , =
- Procedures for adding and subtracting
- Know doubles (2+2, 4+4, 5+5, 1+1, 3+3)
- Choose the larger number of two and count on from the larger number
- Place value, units, tens, hundreds
- Count, read, (write) and order numbers to 100
- Know about odd and even numbers
- Know subtraction is the reverse of addition
- Know number facts for addition and subtraction to 10
- Know multiplication and division symbols
- Times tables, 2's, 10's, 5's
- Recognises and can say number to 1000 (for scores, buses, cooking,
competitions)
- Column addition and subtraction
- Understand division is the reverse of multiplication
Money
- Know coin names
- Understand coin values
- Add coins with values to 20p, 50p and then larger amounts
- £ and p notations
- Use money (with or without full understanding)
- Understand decimal notation for representing values in money
Time
- Days of the week in order
- Read hours on clock
- Seasons of the year
- Know the months of the year
- Read hours and half hours
- Read time to quarter of an hour
- Use units of time - seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years
- Tell the time
- Use time to plan ahead, e.g. in cooking, for T.V. viewing, for special
events
Other measurement
- Use ruler and scales for measurement
- Compare lengths
- Measure, weigh and compare
Shape, place and data
- First shape names and concepts
- Position, direction and movement vocabulary and concepts (see vocabulary
lists on p. 47)
- Understand simple graphs
- More advanced shapes
- Identify right angles
- Identify symmetry
- Make simple tables and graphs of data
- Recognise fractions
- Use fractions
Completing this list is a great achievement
At this stage, simple word problems can be converted to
number problems, number problems can be worked out, time and money are understood
and can be used, measures can be used and compared, calculators and rulers can support
mental strategies, and time across the year can be understood and used.
We know that many teenagers and young people with Down
syndrome find converting word problems to number problems, telling the time, understanding
time across the year and calculating mentally for using money difficult to do as
quickly as other teenagers at this stage, or as quickly as they need to in real
situations. But young people with Down syndrome can learn and use these skills,
given extra time, the use of paper, pencil and other supports, and positive emotional
support to encourage them to persist. Some teenagers with Down syndrome achieve
more than this, and with their peers will learn additional skills, described below
as 'advanced' for teenagers and young people who have Down syndrome.
Advanced skills list
Number
- Symbols for <, >
- Rounding up and down
- Mentally add or subtract two digit numbers
- 'Times' tables to 12 by rote
- Remainders after division
- Mental strategies and paper and pencil to solve word problems
- Work with bigger numbers to 10,000
- Long multiplication
- Use multiplication, division, addition, subtraction to solve simple word
problems with a series of operations
- Decimals, percentage
- Ratios
- Algebra
Shape and data
- Formula and measures for area
- Parallel and perpendicular lines
- Measure angles with protractor
- Perimeter and areas of shapes
- Plot co-ordinates for negative and positive quadrants
- Interpret and extract information from tables, graphs and charts to solve
problems