Talamo now screens for maths difficulties as well as literacy. The Maths & Dyscalculia test helps you spot students who are struggling with the building blocks of maths, understand why, and know what to do about it.

Like all our screeners, it runs as a series of short, game-like activities that students complete independently. It takes around 35 minutes, and students see it under the friendlier name Numbers.

What it measures

The test looks at five core maths skills:

• Number understanding: reading, writing, ordering and placing numbers

• Quantity understanding: recognising amounts without counting one by one

• Arithmetic fluency: quick, accurate adding, subtracting and multiplying

• Applying maths: solving worded problems, and using known facts to work out new ones

• Maths vocabulary: understanding the words we use to talk about maths

It also captures working memory, processing speed and visual reasoning, which often play a big part in how a student gets on with maths.

What you’ll get back

Within 48 hours of a student finishing, you’ll get:

• A maths profile: how the student compares with other students their age in each skill area, showing strengths as well as difficulties

• A signs of dyscalculia indicator: more on this below

• Practical recommendations: strategies for the classroom, for extra support, and for home

The signs of dyscalculia indicator

Alongside the profile, the report gives one of three outcomes:

• Signs of dyscalculia: the student’s results show the pattern of difficulties associated with dyscalculia, and further investigation is worth considering

• No signs of dyscalculia: the results don’t show that pattern

• Inconclusive: something about the results means we can’t give a reliable answer. You’ll automatically be given the option to reset those activities so the student can have another go

One important note: Talamo is a screener, not a diagnosis. “Signs of dyscalculia” means the results are consistent with dyscalculia and it’s a strong signal to look closer. It doesn’t mean the student has dyscalculia. Only a specialist assessment can determine that.

Good to know

• Works for primary and secondary students

• Some activities are shared between our tests. If a student has completed the Cognitive & Dyslexia test in the last 3 months, they won’t repeat the shared activities, and this test will be a little shorter for them

Ready to try it? Head to How to assign a test.