We had recently concluded a Math screening for a group of community children alongside a training session the volunteer tutors who work with them.

From the screening, we were able to identify specific areas of weaknesses the children had, especially in the gaps in their foundational knowledge of Math. Many of the children showed delays in their acquisition of Math skills where they might not have grasped basic concepts or acquired fluency in using Math facts that were expected of their age.

Using the information we collected, we were able to help the tutors prioritise which areas/topics to work on with each child. We also taught the tutors how to break down questions into smaller segments and use manipulatives to help the children understand and learn better.

We hope that with increased exposure and the adjusted strategies, the children would be able to improve. Nonetheless, there is also the risk of dyscalculia in some children and the screening also highlighted those who may benefit from further assessment and specalised support.