Tailoring Numbershark to meet individual needs

Tailoring Numbershark to meet individual needs

Suggestions on how Numbershark can be customised to meet individual needs:

Higher achievers:
  1. Can move more rapidly through the topics if few mistakes are being made.
  2. Some games may include more challenges under Options when available (top left of the games screen).
  3. Speeds can be turned up. Some of the topics for written calculation can be played with mental arithmetic games like Pick, using estimation skills.
  4. A higher year group can be used in the Worded problems.

Lower achievers:

  1. The topics are finely graded to help master each small step.
  2. 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.
  3. Lowering speeds to give ‘thinking time’, and using games which impose no time limit can help give success.
  4. Worded problems can be read aloud when clicked on.

Younger children:

  1. Will benefit from frequent quality supervision from an adult to get the most out of the program.
  2. It is best to work through the recommended games first for any topic guided by the order shown.
  3. Some games may include simpler versions under Options when available (top left of the games screen).
  4. Lower the speeds of games when necessary.
  5. Consider giving each child an icon which will help at sign-on.

Secondary school use:

  1. 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.
  2. Alternatively pick topics from other Numbershark courses which address specific requirements.
  3. Consider excluding any games which, in your opinion, might appear too ‘young’. Go to Admin\Universal settings to do this.
  4. See also under the article ‘National Curriculum , KS3 Revision ’ .

Dyslexia:

  1. 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).
  2. Games instructions and worded problems can be read aloud if you click on them.
  3. Headphones may be useful.
  4. The game Formal sums moves through algorithms for written procedures , reducing the load on short term memory. 

Dyscalculia:

  1. The whole of Numbershark is tailored to accommodate dyscalculia.
  2. The finely graded topics are essential.
  3. Consider deferring the games under the Mental maths tab until concepts have been mastered in each topic area.
  4. 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:

  1. Consider turning speeds down.
  2. For Sharks -tick the box for Automatic shark catching under Options (top left of the screen).
  3. For Maze – reduce the complexity of the maze under Options.
  4. Games that do not impose a time limit will also be easier to play. 

ASD and ADHD:

  1. Consider ticking the box for Static games icons under Settings for (name).
  2. Set work with a restricted number of topics and games so as to reduce stimulus.
  3. Headphones will be useful.
Meares-Irlen Syndrome/Scotopic Sensitivity:
  1. Adjust the Background colour in games under Settings for (name) .


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