Here are some of our most asked questions.
Please get in touch if you’ve got a question that isn’t listed here.
Our books use a structured approach using the ‘three checks’ system. Students requiring extra support, particularly dyslexic and dyscalculic students, benefit from this approach as it bonds the facts into their long term memory.
There is a full explanation and example pages at the start of each book. The structured system require that each question is answered correctly on three consecutive occasions. We’re very happy to talk through any questions you may have about using the books.
It is entirely your decision – when using the book you work one to one with the child. When using NumberCoach online the child works alone but an administrator can manage and see how they are getting on. Feedback to us suggests that the very weakest students benefit from the books as they talk through their answers. You can always take a free trial of the online program and see how things go.
The books cover the math required by the Common Core . Although there are no references to levels or grades in the books. This is done deliberately as we believe that people who need extra support benefit from putting all the building blocks in place regardless of the level.
Click here to see the Common Core Standards for the Plus 1 book.
Click here to see the Common Core Standards for the Power of 2 book.
Contact us if you’d like more information on this.
Yes. Nothing succeeds like success. The books give students a great sense of achievement and the skills and confidence that are gained often transfer to other subjects as well as math. The positive feedback and the amount of repeat orders we receive show how well the books work. To date, we have sold over 100,000 books worldwide, mainly through word of mouth recommendations.
Our books are not age related. We realize that students of all ages need support. As a guide, Plus 1 is suitable for students aged about 6 upwards, Power of 2 is suitable for age 8 upwards.
NumberCoach books have proven to work best when used 4 or 5 times a week, with each session lasting for about 10 – 15 minutes. The same is true for the online program. A little and often is the key to success.
The books are designed for a student and coach to work through together. The coach can be anyone. A teaching assistant, mentor, teacher, parent or friend. Many schools use a mentoring system, with older students mentoring younger ones. When doing the online program, the student can work alone, and the parent/teacher can log-on and see progress, reports and send comments to the student.
Schools: You can extend your account (or set up a new one) if you choose to subscribe, so your students can continue their work. Contact us and we can arrange invoices. Parents: You can subscribe online using your account. You’ll find the details when you log-in. Your child will be able to continue with the work they have started.
Plus 1 covers counting on and back, counting dots, reading numbers, counting on and back in 10’s, addition and subtraction, reading signs, doubling and pairs of numbers that make 10.
Power of 2 covers reading numbers and signs, number bonds to 10, doubling and halving, nearly numbers, multiplying and dividing, fractions and decimals and multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100. It covers all the mental maths skills that are needed for the Core Standards.
Our books are highly structured programs. We have found that the books work best when students work through the whole book, rather than picking sections from it. A list of contents might tempt some coaches to begin coaching part way through the text. We try to ensure that the program is followed as it is presented.
There are no answers because it’s good to ask a student “How did you work that out?” Firstly, it can reinforce the method that the student uses. Secondly, it can encourage students to use mathematical vocabulary. With no answers in the book, it allows the student and coach to check the answer is correct.
When a child hits a stumbling block in maths, quite often the focus will be on the current topic and their lack of understanding. This may be the case but the issue may lie further back in the child’s education.
For this reason, NumberCoach books and online program take a step by step approach, filling the gaps in a child’s knowledge. During this process they gain confidence and knowledge, allowing them to access the topic that they’d had problems with.
We believe that, in order to develop, the foundations have to be solid. Often, it’s a case of not knowing which areas are wobbly, so we assume that it’s best to start from the beginning. And so each online book is highly structured and designed to be worked through from the beginning.