Books
Fractions
£16.50
Some children and teenagers struggle to recall the steps involved in fraction sums. The workbook Fractions aims to gradually develop the learner’s understanding of why the integral steps involved exist so that they can tackle fraction problems with confidence.
- 45 worksheets
- A4 sized stapled workbook printed on to high quality ivory paper to eliminate glare.
- Copiable for repeated use
- Includes explanations of the relevant terminology: numerators, denominators, simplifying fractions, equivalent fractions, common denominators and highest common factors, improper fractions and mixed numbers
- Each aspect is exemplified, explained and tested
- Includes a quiz that can be used initially to highlight weak areas, or/and afterwards to check assimilation
- Includes fractions of time, a quarter past, a quarter to etc. as many children wear digital watches because they do not understand analogue time
- Real life, contextualised problems included
- Worked out answers included
Review for Fractions
Fractions, Step by Step is a workbook aimed at learners aged 10-13 and ‘guides them through adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions’. It also links telling time to fractions and has a couple of useful graphic pages to explain this.
The workbook is A4 sized with a flexible, lively purple colour and appealing cream coloured pages. Many of the explanatory pages are spaciously laid out and use pictures or objects to illustrate a fraction or a portion of a group.
A satisfactory and useful workbook for learners who though they may not initially or quickly understand fractions, also do not have severe maths or literacy difficulties, need step by step explanations and are able to work through clearly written sequences.
There is a quiz, useful in initially identifying weak areas or for checking assimilation afterwards, and a couple of times tables sheets, conveniently in the book. All worksheets are copiable.’
Written by Lynn Ross, retired secondary school teacher and SEN teacher and a retired specialist tutor and assessor of dyslexic individuals. Extracted from her review of the workbook, writing in the Patoss Bulletin, Summer 2022.
Times Tables – It’s a doddle
£15.75
A Dyslexia Maths workbook.
- A4 Exercise book on high quality ivory paper, 44 pages
- Lots of imagery throughout to make the book as engaging as possible
- Each times table up to the 12 times table taught including the zero times table, to highlight the fact that it equals zero throughout.
- Odd and even numbers creating different answers explained and tested
- Initial test highlights strengths and weaknesses and the reader’s assimilation of the facts is tested throughout the exercise book.
- Number patterns in the answers to the times tables highlighted throughout.
- Includes lowest common multiples, highest common factors, shape names and square numbers and square roots.
- Includes a chart including all the times tables facts and a separate blank one that can be filled in by the learner as they assimilate more facts, in their chosen colours. Also includes a chart giving an example of how it can be used to highlight number patterns and simple maths formulas.
Review for Times Tables
Times Tables it’s a Doddle is an A4 sized workbook, presented in an approachable format so which gently guides the learner through each of the tasks, using pictures as aids. It is clearly set out in numerical order so the learner can work systematically through each of the times tables.
The book begins with working through the basics, for example, tasks based on odd and even numbers to help the learner to understand these first…
Some of the tasks also relate to other areas of maths such as shapes. For example after tasks on the four times tables, the book asks the learner to name a four sided shape that has one 90 degree angle in each corner. The book also contains activities on square roots and number factors and can be used to link mathematical facts together…
A dyslexic learner would find this book easy to use as it is clearly laid out and easy to follow…
The book allows the learner to work through it at their own pace which gives the learner control over the speed of their learning – this allows for independent learning…
The book includes activities outside of sequence to develop automacity of times table knowledge…
Word problems are also included on some pages to encourage the practice of answering these types of questions in time for exams.
Personally, I feel this book is a great resource for specialist teachers, teachers, and learners alike. From a specialist teacher’s point of view this is a good resource to use as it provides visual aids, and a clear layout with a variety of activities.
Written by Sarah Bantick, primary teacher and specialist teacher. Extracted from her review of the workbook, writing in the Patoss Bulletin, Winter 2018.
Zebras Spell Really Well
£24.50
Zebras Spell Really Well is an A4 sized ring bound dyslexia spelling workbook.
- Zebras Spell Really Well, Phonics and Spelling Rules
- Ring bound
- 101 + A4 sized worksheets
- Good quality ivory coloured paper to inhibit glare
- Works through alphabetical awareness so that letter sounds are assimilated
- Slowly introduces ‘consonant-vowel-consonant’ words such as: ‘ban’ and moves on to assimilations such as ‘bank’ and blends such as ‘blank’
- The use of ‘c’ or ‘ck’
- When to use: ‘er’ ‘ir’ ‘or’ or ‘ur’
- Magic ‘E’ words such as: ‘blame’ and ‘fame’
- Simple past tense
- ‘o’ sounds as ‘u’ as in ‘money’
- The letter ‘d’ is silent as in ‘badge’
- Days of the week and Months of the Year
- Silent first letters
- Collective nouns
- Compound Words
- Plurals
- Words including ‘ight’ sounding as ‘Ite’
- Includes templates of flashcards of the lower and upper case alphabet, numbers 1-26, stimulus words and images, and blends
Zebras Spell Really Well 2: Focus on Common Double Vowels
£24.50
Zebras Spell Really Well 2: Focus on Common Double Vowels is an A4 sized ring bound copiable spelling and reading programme for dyslexic children. It consists of 90 worksheets that focus on the many combinations of double vowels that make up words. Different double vowels can make the same sound which in turn creates homophones which are words that make the same sound but are spelt differently. The workbook includes, on top of the worksheets, 90 flashcard templates of homophones to enhance learning, alongside a separate homophone test. Suited to children from 9 years through to secondary school aged children.
- 90 worksheets including vowel sound instruction sheets
- A4 sized ring bound workbook
- Good quality ivory coloured paper used to avoid glare
- Initial thorough spelling test to identify a starting point
- Includes lots of imagery to enhance learning
- Sentence completion tasks exercise the reader’s comprehension skill and develops their vocabulary
- Free writing tasks included to exercise spelling accuracy in context as opposed to purely in single words
- Includes, beyond the worksheets, 90 flashcard templates of homophones and their images
- Suited to children aged from 9yrs to secondary school aged children who have struggled to assimilate words including double vowels
Review for Zebras Spell Really Well and Spelling Words with Double Vowels, It’s a Breeze
Both books: Zebras Spell Really Well and Spelling Words with Double Vowels, It’s a Breeze, are updated and extended versions of previously successful publications. Both books, suitable for primary and lower secondary age learners, are a combination of work book and inspirational teaching ideas. The books work through a variety of spelling rules and give examples to aid understanding: the text is divided into instructional text with teaching points followed by dyslexic-friendly pages for the learner. They are full of lots of activities: one to two on every page, which can be photocopied and used in a classroom setting as well as in the home. There are also pages that can be completed to reinforce the spelling and phonic rules. Each new page or couple of new pages cover a new spelling rule. There are pictorial aids as well to help students to visualise the rules.
A contents page at the beginning of each book is helpful because it clearly sets out which rules can be found in each book. Both books are printed on light cream pages with bold, black ink. This can be useful for dyslexic learners because it reduces the contrast which can make texts easier for them to read. The activities included in the books cover a wide age range, with some more appropriate for older learners than others. For younger learners, there are flash cards that can be cut out and laminated o make them more durable for constant use.
The layout of each book is easy to follow and the resources provided in each one are clear and adaptable for a variety of phonic and spelling games. The colour of the pages, clear explanations and examples as well as many pictures that can be used as visual aids means that the books are dyslexia friendly and this should allow for independent use. Answers for all of the activities can be found towards the end of each book.
Personally, I think the books will prove to be a valuable resources for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, school SENCOs and specialist tutors. A wide range and wealth of activities that are supported by pictures, and plenty of photocopiable pages, means that they can be easily be used to support learning and encourage independence.
Written by Sarah Bantick, primary school teacher and specialist tutor. Extracted from her review in Patoss Bulletin, Winter 2018.