Basic number diagnostic test: Teacher's manual - Teacher's Manual

The "Basic Number Diagnostic Test" profiles key aspects of developing numeracy - from reciting and writing numbers to simple addition and subtraction.

Its main purpose is to show what a child can and cannot do, to determine specific teaching objectives, and to follow up those children identified as needing learning support.

To this end, the test provides a standardized, diagnostic assessment which will help teachers to: pinpoint the bottom 25 per cent before problems become severe; diagnose and profile each child's strengths and weaknesses in early numeracy; and match teaching activities and strategies to each child's needs.

Designed for individual use with children in the age-range 5-7 and with older children experiencing difficulties with number skills, the test takes just 15-25 minutes to administer and score, and makes no demands on reading ability.

The test is intended to be given at regular intervals so that progress can be charted and teaching objectives revised: where appropriate, test and retest items are included. The Teacher's Manual explains how to administer, interpret and use the results, with more than half of the book devoted to "targeted" teaching activities and classroom resources.