Varför vänta, när matematiksvårigheter kan förebyggas i förskoleklass?

Sammanfattning: To have a basic number sense is important for mathematical understanding. Interventions in preschool class has shown significant positive effects on student’s mathematical development throughout elementary school. The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of individually designed intensive training on some preschool students with inadequate number sense. The intention was also to demonstrate how the intenvention could be designed as a preventive measure according to the reading, writing, counting guarantee introduced in Swedish school law on July 1st, 2019. The FoNS framework's eight categories, which together constitute basic number sense, has been used as theory and action research was chosen as a method to gain further knowledge of one's own practice and how to further develope it. A quantitative approach in form of a single case design with comparative figures has been used. The study also has a qualitative approach, by analysing the figures qualitatively, and putting them in context. The result showed that a structured, individual intervention can develop significant effects of the number sense. Six preschool students, at the age of six, who in surveys showed shortcomings in the basic number sense received intensive education for five weeks, three times a week, in pair. The study showed that short, intensive interventions can have a good effect if they are individually tailored, structured, well-planned and performed with few students at a time. Four of the survey group's six participants made a marked increase in results from pre- to post-test. Two pupils will need further efforts to achieve an age-appropriate number sense. The study shows that early intensive tuition in mathematics can be a preventive way of working for the special need teacher to prevent math difficulties.