Understanding How You Can Help Students With Dyscalculia

As a teacher, I often think about the fact that many students struggle with math. For some, this is based on anxiety or other dislike for the subject, but for other students, this comes from a condition called dyscalculia. While this condition is estimated to impact between 3 and 7 percent of people, it is often misunderstood, leaving teachers unsure how to support students struggling, and leaving students without an explanation for their difficulties in math.

However, teachers can make a significant positive impact on students with dyscalculia by building their own understanding of the condition and implementing teaching strategies that effectively support students.

WHAT IS DYSCALCULIA?

Dyscalculia is a condition that is either present from birth—and may be inherited—or develops as a result of brain injury. It affects the parietal (calculating and number processing) and frontal (recalling numerical knowledge and working memory) lobes of the brain. It does not have a cure, and individuals do not outgrow it. However, they can learn strategies and coping skills to help.

The most common and recognizable form is developmental dyscalculia, whereby individuals struggle with understanding number symbols, performing calculations, grasping mathematical concepts like counting and sequencing, and recognizing patterns. Another common form is verbal dyscalculia, whereby individuals struggle with mathematical language such as vocabulary, written instructions, and word problems.

The third form is visual-spatial dyscalculia, whereby individuals struggle with spatial relationships, geometry, reading maps, telling time on analog clocks, and understanding directions. The last form is executive function dyscalculia, whereby individuals struggle with managing time, staying focused on math tasks, and applying strategies to solve problems including mental math, organizing numerical information, and transferring knowledge from one context to another.

When a student is diagnosed with dyscalculia, they will receive an individualized education program (IEP).

TIER 1 SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSCALCULIA

Math journals. A math journal is an organized tool that students with dyscalculia can utilize as a resource to help them when solving problems independently. To set up a math journal, guide students to stay organized—create a table of contents with the title of each activity/skill and the page number so that students know where to look for support. For each activity they complete in class, students should write down the problem, any strategies they used to help them, and an explanation of their answers. Students can also define any relevant vocabulary or draw diagrams in their journals.

Then, when students are working independently at home, they can refer back to their journals for tips and worked examples to support them.

Experiential approaches. Because students with dyscalculia struggle with making connections between math concepts and applying them, they benefit from an experiential approach. This method combines a hands-on approach and real-world experiences. In experiential learning, students move through a cycle of concrete experiences (trying it out), reflective observation (analyzing the experience), abstract conceptualization (connecting ideas to prior knowledge), and active experimentation (applying what they’ve learned). For example, after teaching adding and subtracting decimals, our fourth-grade teachers set up an experiential learning opportunity for students.

There were four classrooms, and each was set up as one of the following: cashiers, inventory, gas pumps, and customers. Students moved through the classrooms, using their decimal skills to add costs, make change, and determine mileage they could drive. Students applied what they had learned about adding and subtracting decimals using a hundred grid in class to this new real-world application. This approach provides a holistic way to understand mathematics, helping students transform skills into meaningful, real-world applications rather than relying only on memorization.

Extended time. Students with dyscalculia are doing a lot of processing, and giving them extra time, whether it’s an extra day or class period, to complete assignments will help reduce their anxiety in math and complete the work. Students who have dyscalculia should have this accommodation in their IEP.

Reduced assignments. Reducing the number of assignments can help students focus on the quality of the work as opposed to the quantity of problems completed. Reduced assignments means that instead of 10 problems, the students would only have to complete half. This also allows the teacher to know if the student is able to complete the math task or if another strategy is needed to complete the task. Reducing assignments does not mean to water down or reduce the rigor of the assignment, but allows the student to show their level of mastery with fewer problems.

Calculators. Teachers can allow older students to use calculators. There is a new phone app called DysCalculator that simplifies numerical tasks by adapting to how users interact with numbers and technology. The calculator offers many different displays that allow students to better understand the calculations in front of them, like pictorial representations of fractions and time. It was designed specifically for students with dyscalculia, and it offers them more ways to interact with the content based on what they need.

INTERVENTION SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSCALCULIA

Small group instruction. For students who need additional support, small group instruction can be incredibly beneficial. During small group instruction, teachers should focus on prerequisite skills that students will need to engage with their grade-level content. Frequent repetition and real-world examples can often help students with dyscalculia to make connections and find meaning in the work.

Math kits. A math kit is a collection of tools and manipulatives that a student can use throughout the school year to support them with math work. Kits can be purchased or created by individual teachers based on student needs. A math kit may include graphic organizers, manipulatives, calculators, highlighters, number charts, and other relevant tools for the student. For kits to be most successful, teachers should take time to introduce each tool to students and ensure that they understand how to effectively use the tools in context. This can be done during small group intervention time.

Although this is a brief overview of what dyscalculia is and how you can support students, I hope teachers feel ready to support students in their classrooms and set them up to be strong mathematicians.