Pilot Evaluation of Maths Through Picture Books
Client: Education Endowment Foundation
Duration: 2023 – 2024
Geography: England
Solutions: Evaluation, Research
In Maths, the gap between low and high attainers in England is very wide by international standards. Gaps by the end of Early Years double by the end of primary school. Most children don’t catch up and this is particularly true for disadvantaged children. Research shows that using teaching assistants (TAs) to provide one-to-one or small group intensive support using structured interventions can have a positive impact. However, evidence suggests that there is insufficient Maths CPD for Early Year practitioners.
Maths Through Picture Books is a 10-week targeted intervention that uses specific storybooks accompanied by structured talk to help children who are falling behind to develop a secure understanding of number before they move to KS1. The aim of the intervention is to equip reception teachers and TAs with professional development to improve knowledge of how children learn number and operations and the knowledge and skills to use picture books interactively using the ShREC approach (Share attention, Respond, Expand and Conversation).
We conducted a mixed-methods implementation and process evaluation (IPE) of a pilot of Maths Through Picture Books in 20 reception classes in South East England. Our evaluation investigated whether the programme had evidence of promise to support the Theory of Change, was feasible to implement and deliver, and was ready to be evaluated in a trial.
The evaluation report will be published in early 2025.
Key Activities:
Desk-based review to understand the theory underpinning the programme and identify potential outcomes measures that could be used to evaluate impact.
Quantitative and qualitative research with the delivery team, school staff and participating children to evaluate feasibility and evidence of promise.
Piloting of outcome measures to assess suitability and acceptability.
Synthesis of evidence against success criteria to assess whether the intervention was ready to progress to an efficacy trial.
