Conclusions

Before we started our research project we gave the children a school wide subtraction basic facts test. This involved them answering as many subtraction questions as possible in 5 minutes. The expectation is that the children will be able to score 20% by the end of year 2. Before our work with the subtraction games the targeted children achieved very low scores. These scores then improved when we tested them again. Every child in the two groups that I targeted improved although some improved more than others.
Below are the results from the test. The first number next to each child's initial is the score that they had before the work on subtraction games, the next number is the score that they achieved after the subtraction work:

A: 5%-10%
B: 2%-4 %
C: 8%-13 %
D: 1%-5 %
E: 6%-8 %
F: 12%-25%
G: 6%-17 %
H: 15%-37%

At the end of week 4 I had a discussion with the children in the two groups about the work that we had done on the computer. Two children said that they still didn't like subraction but the other childen said that they like it now. The children decided as a group that subtraction is "sometimes easy and sometimes hard." When I asked them if they felt that the computer had helped them four children said that it had helped "a bit" and four children said that it had helped "a lot."

Week 2 and 3

By week 2 and 3 the children in my two target groups had been introduced to all of the subtraction games that we had put on the intranet. Most of the rest of the class were also familiar with them as they all played them in the computer suite on Mondays. These computer sessions were enjoyed by all and I heard lots of "subtraction talk" going on. All children were able to follow the steps that I had written on the board in the computer suite and next to the computer in the classroom.

Week2
By Tuesday apart from student B my circle group were beginning to image when subtracting. I moved student B to my square group and focused on using materials to subtract up to 5 with this group as well as the subtraction games on the intranet. Throughout the week both of my targeted groups had the opportunity to use the subraction games during maths sessions either with me or as a group. It was frustrating that there was only my laptop and one class computer to use.

Week3
This week I continued to work on subtracting to 5 with my square group and worked on beginning to image to 10 with my circle group. By the end of the week both groups had improved greatly. They continued to play on the subtraction games either with me or as a group. By the end of this week all of square group were able to solve subtraction problems to 10 by using materials and were able to image to 5. All of circle group apart from student C were able to image to 10 to solve subtraction problems.

week1 Friday

We found some games on EPIC when working with Fiona but were unable to put them with our other games on the intranet. We will use them as demonstration games with the data projector.

I was excited to discover a caterpillar game on Kidspiration today. At home I played with it and made up some more games for the children to use with me, they can physically move the items on the screen when they subtract- can't wait to use them with the data projector on Tuesday with my circle and square group.

Throughout the week I have caught children playing subtraction games on the class computer when they have been asked to do other activities such as play on the spelling game. This shows that the children find the subtraction games fun and they are motivating.

Week1 Thursday

Student A told me that she had been playing on the subtraction games at home via the school intranet. I asked the rest of the class if they had been playing the games at home and two of my targeted children had. They then suggested to the rest of the class that they play the games at home.

Week1 Wednesday

My circle and square groups chose subtraction games to play on my laptop and the classroom computer today whilst I worked with the other two groups. They chose the soccer and owl games. All said that they had enjoyed their games and seemed to be on task throughout the session. At fairly regular intervals children came to tell me how many goals England had scored- how many sums they had answered correctly.

Week 1 Tuesday

I worked with my circle and square groups (my targeted children) during maths today. We used counters to subtract whilst sat on the carpet- they had no idea of the answers but could work them out as a group using the counters. I used the data projector with my laptop so that we could play the soccer game and the butterfly game as a group with one of the groups at a time. Both groups were very excited by this and enjoyed moving the pictures of soccer players or butterflies to work out the answers.

Week 1 Monday

Whilst at the computer suite today I introduced the other subtraction games to the children. When I showed them the soccer game all the children became very excited and wanted England to win because "Mrs Whitfield is from England." They went off to work in pairs and to choose which games they wanted to play. Most chose the soccer game and enjoyed moving the players to work out the answers. When I asked which part of the game they liked best they said" by clicking on David Beckham you get to check the answer which is really cool."

Initial work to introduce the subtraction games- whole class

At the start of our session in the computer suite I introduced the children to the steps to get onto the subtraction games that we had set up on the intranet. They found it difficult to follow the steps but as I paired up higher and lower ability children on the computers they were able to follow the steps written on the whiteboard successfully.

I initially introduced the children to just the butterfly subtraction game on the "Rainforest Maths" site. They all watched how to play it eagerly and were keen to help me find the correct answers. The children worked well in pairs and all of my targeted children enjoyed the game.

Back in the classroom I wrote the steps onto card and stuck it onto the wall next to the computer for the children to follow when they are to play the subtraction games in class time.