Dyscalculia
DYSCALCULIA may not ring a bell. What may sound familiar with us is the term dyslexia, or that reading disorder despite normal intelligence. Well, dyscalculia is nothing but the “Math dyslexia.”
Therefore, the word “dyscalculia” simply refers to the inability of a person to make sense of and work with numbers – a Math learning disability. But make no mistake in referring to those people who hate Math, or are uninterested in learning Math, as people with dyscalculia.
Children with dyscalculia may have difficulty understanding number-related concepts or using symbols or functions needed for success in Math. What are the warning signs and symptoms that our children or our students are having this specific Math learning disability?
Studies show that dyscalculia often looks different at different ages. It tends to become more apparent as kids get older. But symptoms can appear as early as preschool.
Here is what to look for in preschool: (1) has trouble learning to count and skips over numbers long after kids the same age can remember numbers in the right order; (2) struggles to recognize patterns, such as smallest to largest or tallest to shortest; (3) has trouble recognizing number symbols (knowing that “7” means seven) and ; (4) doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of counting.
For example, when asked for five blocks, she just hands you an armful, rather than counting them out.
In grade school, we should look at students’ (1) difficulty learning and recalling basic math facts, such as 2 +4 = 6; (2) struggles to identify +, – and other signs, and to use them correctly; (3) usage of fingers still in counting instead of using more advanced strategies, like mental math; (4) struggles to understand words related to math, such as greater than and less than; and, (5) trouble with visual-spatial representations of numbers, such as number lines.
In high school, these are among the many things that students with dyscalculia are struggling about: (1) difficulty understanding place value; (2) trouble writing numerals clearly or putting them in the correct column; (3) trouble with fractions and with measuring things, like ingredients in a simple recipe; (4)