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Number skills for individuals with Down syndrome - An overview
Gillian Bird and Sue Buckley
Children and adults with Down syndrome vary widely in their achievements and interest in number skills and mathematics. There is only a small amount of research in the area and little that provides guidance for effective teaching methods and materials. Typically, the achievements of individuals with Down syndrome in number are at a lower level than their achievements in literacy. However, there is a wide range of progress and while some children find number difficult, other children with Down syndrome enjoy mathematics. When a pupil is interested, motivated and taught well, he or she may achieve at an age appropriate level in primary school. Research findings indicate that good teaching, using the children's strengths for visual learning, does promote learning and that children with Down syndrome follow similar stages of progression as typically developing children, although often with more steps and practice needed at each stage. This overview module reviews the development of number and maths skills in typically developing children, research on number and mathematics for children with Down syndrome, the implications for teaching and learning, inclusion in the mathematics curriculum, typical levels of achievement across the age range and the necessity for language teaching. This overview module links with the practical number modules for children aged 3-5 years, 5-11 (primary) and 11-16 years (secondary pupils). These modules contain discussion of the range of achievements, teaching methods and practical activities for each age group.
Bird G, Buckley SJ. Number skills for individuals with Down syndrome - An overview. Down Syndrome Issues and Information. 2001.
doi:10.3104/9781903806135
Introduction
There is very little research into the development of
number skills in children, teenagers or adults with Down syndrome. A small number
of papers have investigated early counting skills[1-8]
and others describe the achievements of small groups of teenagers or adults.[9-13]
Only four papers look at more advanced mathematical understanding of length, quantity,
money and algebra.[14-17]
Several studies identify that the number skills of pupils
with Down syndrome are improving with better educational opportunities[18,19]
and that they improve with education in mainstream settings.[4,10,12,13,7,18,20,21]
Several studies suggest that reading skills are more advanced than numeracy skills
for many children with Down syndrome but they do not explore the possible reasons
for this.[7,8,22,23]
The published literature offers little specific practical
guidance to parents or teachers at the present time, though several papers highlight
the benefits of systems that represent number visually,[6,24-28] however, practical implications for teaching
are identified in this review where possible.
The review begins with an outline of the development of
number skills and knowledge as they are understood from research with typically
developing children and then reviews the research with children with Down syndrome.
The significance of knowledge about the specific learning
strengths and weaknesses usually experienced by children with Down syndrome is also
taken account of in identifying teaching approaches that are likely to be helpful.
In addition, the authors have included information based on their experience of
working with children with Down syndrome in mainstream classrooms since 1988.