Let’s Talk About Dyscalculia

By Hari Neocleous @the_maths_nuts

Virtual manipulatives from mathigon.org

10 years ago, I left classroom teaching to become ‘Miss Maths’, a maths intervention teacher. During this time, I’ve seen a range of reasons children might need extra tuition. Some children work better in small groups. Sometimes small gaps become bigger gaps if they’re not addressed. Other reasons for falling behind might be poor concentration, attendance, slow processing, diffi culties understanding maths vocabulary, low confi dence, maths anxiety or a poor working memory. Some students will leave important steps out in methods, so we work on maths jottings and slowing down our thinking. For some children, the cause is dyscalculia.

What is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a specifi c maths learning diffi culty where children or adults struggle with arithmetic and reasoning and have a poor sense of number. It can aff ect all ages and abilities. magnitude of a number or the value of each digit (e.g. in 48 the value of the 4 is 40 or four tens, the value of the 8 is eight ones). Numbers seem abstract and amounts are diffi cult to imagine. Children fi nd it hard to count backwards and subitise (e.g. instantly recognise spots on a dice or domino). Children often count on their fi ngers when they might not need to. (Please note, using fi ngers is a great method for students but we want them to have other strategies too.)

When I’m assessing for maths diffi culties common red fl ags are errors counting back, confusing the +, - x and ÷ signs, diffi culties comparing numbers and ordering. An example of a question in my initial assessment is, ‘What is 5 + 3?’ Children with dyscalculia often struggle without the use of their fi ngers. I often observe my students secretly tap onto the backs of their chairs if I’ve said, ‘Okay’ no fi ngers for this question’. To solve 5+3 most children will count on from 5, ‘5...6, 7, 8.’ Some will imagine 5 dice spots and 3 dice spots. Some will imagine a number line or automatically know their number facts. Children with dyscalculia do not have these strategies or images of number in their minds so they need to be taught them. That’s where a specialist dyscalculia tutor is needed.

My advice to parents is not to ignore any maths worries. The last few years haven’t been easy. And not every child responded the same to online maths learning! Speak to the teacher and share examples of where your child has struggled. Early intervention is key.

A lesson outline:

My lessons are tailored to the child using a multi-sensory approach, with 3 mini sessions or one hour a week. We build on what they know. We develop their working memory. Our main lesson begins with practical work where key maths resources are used to teach a concept. We move onto using pictures or maths diagrams, then we move onto number sentences. Children

discover the ‘wow moments’ themselves and link it all together using maths talk. We revisit previous learning, and every lesson has a maths game. We work on visualisation skills. I want them to ‘see’ the maths when they close their eyes. We have fun, laugh and children feel safe to explore and learn from mistakes.

Here are some ways a child with dyscalculia might struggle when learning about money:

If one penny equals 1p, how does one coin also represent 20 pennies (20p) or 50 pennies (50p)?

Why is the 2p coin (which is lower in value) larger in size than a 5p coin (a higher value coin)?

When using decimal notation is ‘2p’ written as £0.20 or £0.02? (Common error: 2p is recorded as £0.2). Addition of coins, e.g. 2p +5p + £2 (children might record total of £9 instead of £2.07).

Diffi culties with mental calculation when there’s no pen or paper and they feel rushed.

Diffi culties understanding the concept of change, e.g. adding 2 items, paying with a pound coin, and then working out the change.

Diffi culties with place value. Can they make 17p and 70p correctly with coins or do they confuse the two amounts?

These examples show a lack of number sense, diffi culties with place value and multi-step problems.

The good news is that all children I teach will make progress, sometimes small steps sometimes accelerated progress. Many won’t be seen again. Some might be referred to me as they move through the school. And for those children who show signs of dyscalculia, there will be discussions with the SENCO and parents, and they may be referred to an assessor. Only a dyscalculia assessor can give an offi cial diagnosis. I’m a dyscalculia tutor in training but I’m not an assessor.

Dyscalculia awareness is increasing. Current research is helping educators understand more about how the dyscalculic brain works. They say 1 in 30 children have dyscalculia; it can range from mild to severe. When I walk down a corridor I hear ‘Miss Maths, Miss Maths’ as if I’m some sort of celebrity! It’s the sweetest thing to know that children who once feared maths are excited to learn.

If you’d like to see photos of a maths intervention lesson in the future do let our Cherubs editor know. She gives me very unrealistic word counts! I hope I’ve given you some ideas as to why your child might be struggling. If they show signs of dyscalculia, keep a maths diary (with quotes) and approach your class teacher. Schools will off er some ‘in school’ support fi rst and if progress isn’t made, they may make a referral to be assessed. Please check out The Dyscalculia Network (dyscalculianetwork. com) for more information and a specialist tutor. Remember your role: to make maths fun, build confi dence, play games, bake together, count pocket money. What you do matters and how you talk about maths has an impact.

A child with dyscalculia will fi nd ways to problem solve. They take a diff erent route when learning and it’s the most rewarding job to help them fi nd their way.

For more information or to fi nd a dyscalculia tutor please contact The Dyscalculia Network info@dyscalculianetwork.com

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