Storybooks could help children’s maths

Tutoring programmes and storybooks can help improve children's attainment in maths, according to a new evidence review led by UCL researchers. The evidence review, published today by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and written by a team from the UCL Institute of Education, the University of Brighton, Loughborough University and Ulster University, synthesises the best international evidence about the teaching and learning mathematics for children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 (between the ages of 3 and 7). It is primarily concerned with the effects of different teaching approaches, or interventions, on attainment and informed the EEF's guidance, Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1. The review found that tutoring programmes can have positive impact on maths achievement, especially for low-attaining children. However, this is likely to be the case where the support is delivered through structured interventions that have been designed to address specific weaknesses in numeracy. This finding is of particular relevance for schools and national programmes such as the National Tutoring Programme in addressing the effects of the pandemic on attainment, both generally and for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The authors note that almost all effective tutoring programmes have been developed by expert teams that have been informed by research on children's mathematical development.