Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning

Children develop and use a range of methods to solve number problems. The strategies they use increase in sophistication as children gain experience and develop better ways of solving problems.

Progression needs to take into account the number range that a child can solve problems within and the sophistication of the strategies used.

 The Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning (SEAL) classifies the various strategies used by children into six stages:

Stage	Indicators
Stage 0: Emergent Counting	Cannot count visible items The child may not know the number words. The child cannot coordinate number words with items.
Stage 1: Perceptual Counting	Can count perceived items May involve seeing, hearing or feeling items.
Stage 2: Figurative Counting	Can count the total of two collections. Counts from one
Stage 3: Initial Number Sequence	Child uses and understands counting-on rather than counting-from-one. Uses counting on to solve addition and missing addend tasks. May use count-down-from strategies
Stage 4: Intermediate Number Sequence	The child uses and understands:                                     count-down-from strategies                                     count-down-to strategies The child can choose the most efficient strategy.
Stage 5:Facile Number Sequence	The child uses a range of non-count by one strategies: Compensation Using known results Adding to ten Commutativity Subtraction as the inverse of addition Awareness of ten as a teen number

Effective learning and teaching needs to take into account the strands that contribute towards a secure knowledge in number:

CPD in East Lothian to support this:

• Developing Knoweldge and Understanding of Number Word and Numeral Sequences
• Developing Knowledge and Understanding of Number Structures
• Counting Strategies: Developing Knowledge and Understanding of the Stages of Arithmetical Learning
• Counting Strategies: Developing Knoweldge and Understanding of the Stages of Muliplication and Division

 

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Recommended reading: 

CPD in East Lothian is based on the following publications:

Teaching Number in the Classroom with 4-8 year olds  by Mr Robert J Wright , Garry Stanger, Ann K Stafford , Mr James Martland ISBN:9781412907583

   

Early Numeracy: Assessment for Teaching and Intervention By Robert J. Wright, Jim Martland, Ann K. Stafford. ISBN:9781412910200

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.Teaching Number: Advancing Children’s Skills and Strategies by Mr Robert J Wright , Garry Stanger, Ann K Stafford , Mr James Martland ISBN:9781412921855

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Materials that support the above:

• Colour Coded SEAL and related progressions
• Blank SEAL and related progressions 
• Teaching the Emergent Child (Book Summary)
• Teaching the Perceptual Child (Book Summary)
• Teaching the Figurative Child (Book Summary)
• Teaching the Counting-On Child (Book Summary)
• Teaching the Facile Child (Book Summary)

The above documents should be used in conjuction with the book ‘Teaching Number: Advancing Children’s Skills and Strategies’ by Mr Robert J Wright , Garry Stanger, Ann K Stafford , Mr James Martland ISBN:9781412921855

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