ABSTRACT
Concern about children who struggle to learn mathematics has been high on the national mathematics education agenda for many years. As the Williams Report (Williams 2008) spells out, this concern is part of the current initiative to raise standards in schooling and reflects ongoing analyses of the mathematical performance of children in the UK in relation to pupils of similar age in other countries [see the Programme for International Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS)]. Low attainment in mathematics is also a vital issue because children who struggle with the subject may reach the end of their compulsory schooling without gaining the functional knowledge of mathematics that will enable them to participate confidently in adult life.
