Tailoring Numbershark to meet individual needs
Suggestions on how Numbershark can be customised to meet
individual needs:
Higher achievers:
- Can move more rapidly
through the topics if few mistakes are being
made.
- Some games may include more challenges
under Options when available (top left of the
games screen).
- Speeds can be turned up.
Some of the topics for written calculation
can be played with mental arithmetic games
like Pick, using estimation skills.
- A higher year
group can be used in the Worded problems.
Lower achievers:
- The topics are finely graded
to help master each small step.
- Make full use
of demos by clicking on any ‘sum’. Students –
under Settings for (name) – may like to turn
down, or turn off, the Groans and beeps that
you hear when a mistake is made – in any case
your sprite will tell you any errors because it
reacts visually.
- Lowering speeds to give ‘thinking time’, and
using games which impose no time limit can
help give success.
- Worded problems can be read aloud when
clicked on.
Younger children:
- Will benefit from frequent
quality supervision from an adult to get the
most out of the program.
- It is best to work
through the recommended games first for any
topic guided by the order shown.
- Some games may include simpler versions
under Options when available (top left of the
games screen).
- Lower the speeds of games when necessary.
- Consider giving each child an icon which will
help at sign-on.
Secondary school use:
- The Numbershark
National Curriculum course provides a graded
course but does not include the year group
in the topic titles ( apart from year 1). This
is helpful as these topics can be set for older
students who are experiencing difficulties,
without reference to a particular year
group.
- Alternatively pick topics from other
Numbershark courses which address specific
requirements.
- Consider excluding any games which, in your
opinion, might appear too ‘young’. Go to
Admin\Universal settings to do this.
- See also under the article ‘National Curriculum
,
KS3 Revision
’
.
Dyslexia:
- Make full use of games which do
not impose a time limit
, to give thinking time
e.
g. Pick, Pairs, Bingo etc (even though the clock
is still running).
- Games instructions and worded problems can
be read aloud if you click on them.
- Headphones
may be useful.
- The game
Formal sums moves through
algorithms for written procedures
, reducing the
load on short term memory.
Dyscalculia:
- The whole of Numbershark is tailored to accommodate dyscalculia.
- The finely graded topics are essential.
- Consider deferring the games under the Mental maths tab until concepts have been mastered in each topic area.
- The game Which? is useful for judging the size of groups (with the option only ticked for objects) and possibly Conserve played with the speed turned up.
Dyspraxia:
- Consider turning speeds down.
- For Sharks -tick the box for Automatic shark catching under Options (top left of the screen).
- For Maze – reduce the complexity of the maze under Options.
- Games that do not impose a time limit will also be easier to play.
ASD and ADHD:
- Consider ticking the box
for Static games icons under Settings for
(name).
- Set work with a restricted number
of topics and games so as to reduce stimulus.
- Headphones will be useful.
Meares-Irlen
Syndrome/Scotopic Sensitivity:
- Adjust the Background colour in games under
Settings for (name)
.
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