Preventing learning difficulties in arithmetic: the approach of the PerContare project

The PerContare project aimed to develop effective inclusive teaching strategies and materials to support primary school teachers in addressing learning difficulties, especially of pupils potentially at risk of being diagnosed with dyscalculia. The project was a collaboration between a team of mathematics educators and a team of psychologists. The first objective of the project was to design and test teaching strategies and material to help all students in 1st and 2nd grade (ages 6-8) develop adequate numerical competence and it is this goal that I focus on in this article, introducing two of the activities proposed for the beginning of 1st grade. I offer examples from two classrooms in which the material was trialled and briefly describe some theoretical grounding for the activities.