With 14.4% of UK pupils having Special Educational Needs (SEN), it can often be difficult for teachers to make sure they cater for all learners in their classrooms.
Without a teaching assistant, and with a very full timetable, it is certainly challenging trying to find time to work with individual SEN pupils on their personalised targets, whilst also ensuring the rest of the class remain engaged and challenged. Specifically tailored to each child’s needs, I created “5 Minute SEN Bags” to provide pupils with short activities that they can complete somewhat independently – freeing up the teacher to check on and support other students.
In this journal entry, I will share with you some of the various Twinkl* activities that I use in my “5 Minute SEN Bags”. This week, I will focus on activities that will aid mathematical development. There will be a follow up post in which I will share some of my favourite Twinkl resources for supporting SEN pupils with their reading and writing.
Firstly, Number cards are a useful resource for any SEN activity bag due to their versatility. They can be used in the following ways: to secure basic number recognition; to practise number sequencing; and within number sorting activities. Another idea is to give the child a number card for which they must write down the properties (e.g. odd, even, prime, square, multiple of _, factor of _ ) as well as creating number sentences to give that answer. This Number of the Day Activity Sheet is a good template for recording a similar activity.
Pattern recognition skills can be developed using these Pegboard Pattern Cards which are also an effective tool for improving hand-eye coordination and developing spatial awareness.
Being able to recall the basic number bonds to ten, twenty and one hundred is essential in order for a child to excel mathematically. Twinkl has a wide range of Number Bond Flashcards for 10, 20 and 100. These Number Bond Challenge Cards are also a great resource to laminate for repeated use.
This Doubling Matching Activity is a great way to secure children’s recall of doubles and halves up to 20. I simply cut and laminate each activity card then put them in envelopes within the children’s “5 Minute Bags”. They can access this game independently and the more they play, the more easily they will begin to recognise these number facts.
If you have pupils who struggle with adding two digit and one digit numbers, this Dice Addition Template is a great resource to laminate. Provide each child with a die which they can roll in order to create their own number sentences. Having a laminated Hundred Square in the bag is also really useful and Twinkl has a range of different themes to suit the interests of your pupils.
Many SEN pupils struggle with forming their numbers correctly. This Number Formation Sheet is a fantastic resource to laminate for repeated use. Children can then practise writing each number correctly.
Thanks for reading and I hope these recommended resources can come in useful when supporting the SEN pupils in your class. ?
* Twinkl provide me with a free subscription in return for my reviews of their products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
