[Maths-Education] CRIME Seminar - 14th March - Responding to the Mathematical Needs of Children in Care

[Peter Gates]

Colleagues - a CRIME seminar you may be interested in attending….



Dr Peter Gates
Centre for Research in Mathematics Education (CRiME)
School of Education
University of Nottingham



Responding to the Mathematical Needs of Children in Care
Rose Griffiths, School of Education, University of Leicester
14th March 2013, 4.30 - 6.00 pm, Room B46, Dearing Building, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus, NG8 1BB,UK
The educational achievement of looked-after children in the UK continues to be extremely poor on average, even when compared to other vulnerable children. Whilst there has been some attention paid to raising their achievement in literacy, there has been very little exploration of the reasons for looked-after children’s poor performance in mathematics.
This seminar will focus on two linked areas of her research with looked-after children aged 7 to 13. The Letterbox Club was an action research project which began in 2003 with just 20 children, examining the effect of providing mathematics and literacy materials through the post directly to children in foster care, at their home addresses. It is now established as a national programme working with around 5,000 children each year.
Rose will also discuss some of the findings of her doctoral study, using case studies of five looked-after children with difficulties in mathematics. Based on clinical interviews with the children, and interviews with their class teachers, TAs, and their foster carers, she will provide an analysis of some of the places where things have gone badly wrong for these children, and some thoughts on how their situation could be improved.
Rose Griffiths is a senior lecturer in mathematics education at the University of Leicester. She has taught in primary, special and secondary schools, and is a former foster carer and then an adoptive parent.
Please contact educationresearchstaff at nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:educationresearchstaff at nottingham.ac.uk> if you wish to attend.