It is important that classroom teachers understand why a student is having difficulty with mathematics before devising and delivering interventions. Effective interventions for students with delayed acquisition of basic number concepts differ from those for students with dyscalculia. There are many reasons why a student might struggle with mathematics (Reeve & Waldecker 2017).
Early diagnosis is particularly important, because missing the basics of mathematics makes it difficult for learners to follow subsequent topics. This can lead to frustration and negative attitudes towards mathematics, as well as school subjects in general.
Officially diagnosing children might also lead to faster changes in government policies. Once dyscalculic learners appear in official statistics, it is more likely that support will be offered. It was only in 2009 that the Rose report on dyslexia was published, which called for the availability of special training for teachers to support children with dyslexia. This initiative has been a huge success, and it is likely that the same result would be possible for dyscalculia.
What all this shows is that when it comes to dyscalculia, more needs to be done to help children who are struggling. So if you’re a parent worried about your child, it is important to raise this with your child’s school and seek specialist educational psychology support.
Obtaining an official diagnosis might take a long time. But you can help your child by practising some basic concepts and procedures with them. This can be done by manipulating everyday objects, such as beads or tokens, or playing simple number games. You can also play board games with a dice – which can help to demonstrate basic number concepts.
These activities might be especially helpful for younger children, but can also help to build confidence in the case of older pupils. Computer based maths programs can also be used for repeated practice of arithmetic. As with literacy, it is important that you don’t see your child’s maths learning as solely the responsibility of schools.
Dyscalculia, similar to dyslexia, is a life-long condition, which continues to affect people beyond their school years. It cannot and should not be ignored. And a better awareness of the condition in parents, teachers and society generally could offer great improvements in the prospects of dyscalculic learners.
(Excerpt taken from an article in THE CONVERSATION – Dyscalculia: ‘maths dyslexia’ or why so many children struggle with numbers. January 24, 2019 )
Many assessment methods simply identify students with low achievement, rather than helping teachers to understand the nature of the difficulty itself. Dyscalculia affects the typical acquisition of numerical abilities.
Students exhibiting problems with the core number abilities of subitising and approximate magnitude may have dyscalculia and should be distinguished from students experiencing difficulties with learning for other reasons.
Research has isolated two ‘markers’ that can help to identify students’ core number ability, specifically:
