Check out our online dyslexia and dyscalculia shop for educational tools like Mathe4matics and Letters2Words card games, and the EasyReading Card.
Also featured in our online shop is Dyslexia-Dyscalculia!?, a publication authored by Dr. Astrid Kopp-Duller and Dr. Livia R. Pailer-Duller, which describes the necessity of intervention on a didactic level.
In my day, we just memorized math. I don’t know that I ever really truly understood much of what math was nor was I able to compute higher-level skills until I started teaching math and learned how to be flexible with numbers. Flexibility with numbers is a key foundational skill for young learners, and those who don’t have it struggle from early on. When it is hard to figure out what 7 + 4 =, a child will become easily frustrated, leading to the oh so often felt and heard, “I’m just no good at math.” It isn’t about memorization and speed (puuuhhhleeeease – stop with the timed tests!) with basic addition and subtraction – it is about developing strategies that lead to fluency, automaticity, and understanding.
There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but one thing I am passionate about is making sure instruction is developmentally appropriate. Research tells us that learning through play is most appropriate for early childhood students (and that designation goes through age 8 or 9, depending on where you look), and the kids are way more engaged when they’re playing games. To develop strategic thinking, use lots of concrete representations to start, then move to the more abstract (for example, start with dot dice and move on to numeral dice). So, here are 13 ways to practice simple addition and subtraction that are sure to please.
There are so many different kinds of dice you can get now, and if you can’t find the ones you want, there’s DIY wood block dice! Place value blocks, ten frames, dots, numerals of any range with any number of sides, big and wooden dice, colorful dice, foam dice… Just search for dice online – but be prepared to get lost in that rabbit hole! Lots of work with making five and ten is required in K/1 and this can easily be done with addition (and frankly, subtraction, too – think fact families) and dice. Tenzi is a great way to have multiple players with a target number in a fast-paced, fun game.
Pull out the numbered cards and only use those. You can use them in a number of ways – simply flip two cards and add or subtract, play make five or make ten go fish, addition/subtraction war (flip two cards each, whoever has the most/least wins all four cards, repeat) or any of a number of other card games.
This low prep way to practice addition and subtraction involves simply giving students a bin of dominoes and having them pull one at a time. Then, they either add or subtract using the two sides of the domino. It is important, as with all of these ideas, to encourage strategy use. They should subitize the numbers, use counting on strategy, think about a rekenrek or a ten frame – playing these while simply counting all the dots won’t improve their skills at all.
Need to get some wiggles out? Go out to the playground or make an indoor tape hopscotch board and give each square a number 0-10. The directions can vary based on your students’ abilities and be used to find the missing addend or subtrahend (“What goes with 6 to make 10?” and they hop to the 4) or to do more basic addition and subtraction (toss two small pebbles or sticks and add/subtract the two numbers). Ready to up the challenge factor? Have kids make the target number a different way after they give you the first way or make a target number with three addends.
This is another movement activity for math where you simply put number models on index cards – one per chair. Then play musical chairs like you always would, but kids have to answer their problems correctly to stay in the game as well!
Continue article here:
https://educationtothecore.com/2021/01/13-simple-ways-to-practice-addition-and-subtraction/
For kids who struggle with math – the ones who have trouble with math no matter what they try – it is not uncommon to feel anxiety when even simply thinking about math. As the mom of a handful of kids who struggle with math, sometimes called dyscalculia, I have had a ton of practice helping them not only to figure out how to solve math problems but to overcome their unnecessary worrying about math. Whether your child is six or 16, these 10 tips will help them to build their confidence and ability in math class.
Normalize their challenges. I often laughingly refer to myself as my kids’ life coach. How encouraging is it to a struggling learner to hear that many students have a hard time with math. Research shows that up to 50% of students nationwide are experiencing some degree of math difficulty. Remind kids that “All kids can learn math, we just need to figure out how you learn best.”
Continue reading here: https://homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com/help-kids-math-anxiety/
The fear of Mathematics and numbers is called Dyscalculia, which is a learning disability, also termed as number blindness. Extensive studies have recorded that nearly 7% of the population with average intelligence have the problem. The innate number sense of the human brain is not in sync in dyscalculics, as numerical ability relies on special brain networks.
The theory that separates Dyscalculia from other deficiencies of memory and language is that the approximate number sense gets severely affected. A common symptom that defines the problem is the inability to recognize the place value system. The mathematical ability of people who are unable to grasp the recognition pattern of small numbers is impaired significantly.
The inability to properly estimate and grasp quantifiable figures is the hallmark of Dyscalculia. The disability signifies the inability or impaired ability to recognize small numbers. The brain scans of persons suffering from this issue show that the intraparietal sulci show less activity and are less connected with the greater brain when dealing with numbers.
Other learning disabilities like dyslexia and aligned problems like ADHD and autism spectrum disorder are also common in dyscalculics. The treatment becomes a little complex as it is difficult to separate the issues. These comorbidities often make the diagnosis difficult. The neuronal basis of Dyscalculia is not widely studied due to this phenomenon. Several neuroimaging studies have detailed the representation and processing of numerical information, but no comprehensive and conclusive findings are available. There are many forms of Dyscalculia, and some of them are associated with demonstrated alterations in metabolism, brain structure, and function.
Image Source: dyscalculiamathdisability.weebly.com
Developmental Dyscalculia tends to present as abnormalities in the parietal cortex and involves the cortical and subcortical regions. Recent studies have given clarity on brain activity during number processing as well as calculation. The IPS or intraparietal sulcus is known to be the centre for numerical processing. Research has illustrated that the IPS is activated when mathematical tasks and even simple counting exercises are carried out.
Memory, perceptual, spatial and motor functions are also involved in the process. Attention is also a key factor. The cognitive processes that are involved in calculation tasks add to the complexity. Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) demonstrates deficits in core brain regions associated with number processing. The brain activation pattern is also not adequate in children afflicted with DD. The gap is bridged with the child resorting to finger counting and memory to compensate.
The need for remediation measures and education for children with special needs is the need of the hour. There are some steps taken in this direction by experts, but the gap is much more significant than the remedy. Urgent intervention is needed to collate research findings and create practical special education resources to help children suffering from DD.
The first step is to recognize that the child has a problem. Unfortunately, the children suffering from Developmental Dyscalculia are not even diagnosed in time to help them. They are often labelled as slow or below average and are left to fend on their own. The need of the hour is to educate parents and educationists alike about the existence of DD and how it affects the child.
Academic and emotional negligence often tortures the otherwise intelligent child. They are special and hence need proper guidance and help, more than the other children. They may be subjected to bullying and rampant ignoring in the classroom. Teachers need to be sensitized about the occurrence and issues related to Dyscalculia as they are prone to dismiss the condition as a lack of general intelligence. There are few practical steps that can be taken to ensure that the child finds a way to cope with the problem and even overcome it to a certain extent.
Continue reading here: https://numberdyslexia.com/dyscalculia-and-brain-activity-the-connection/
Studying for exams is a chore for everyone, but it can be much more difficult if the text is not accessible to the learner. eLearning has a role to play in helping these students to learn.
The website totallearn.co.uk is developing a large number of science eLearning modules to help with study. These are made accessible by having a “click to hear” function.
All text on the totallearn website can be clicked on and will be read aloud to the user.
The developer, Michael Collard, is a former science teacher who is able to describe difficult concepts in a clear, straightforward manner.
There is also a science blog on the site that is equally accessible and updated several times a week.
The developer welcomes comments and requests as the website develops. Write him at: [email protected]
Just what is dyslexia?
There are many misconceptions out there.
“Dyslexia is a type of specific learning disorder that impacts reading,” said Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz, director of learning disability resources at the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “It is not a disease, nor is it contagious. It is not something that goes away — you don’t outgrow it — and it is not the result of watching too much TV, laziness, vision or
hearing problems, or low intelligence.
“The medical community refers to it as a disorder, and the educational community refers to it as a specific learning disability. Others are dyscalculia if the area of weakness is math, dysgraphia if the problem is writing and written expression.”
Because dyslexia is not a disease, there is not “one treatment for dyslexia. It can’t be cured, especially because dyslexia is not a medical or psychological problem,” said Livia R. Pailer-Duller, executive director of the American Dyslexia Association. “It needs to be addressed through training of the attention span, of sensory perceptions, and the practice of reading and spelling on the educational level.”
Rather, “dyslexia is a genetic disposition, which means that dyslexia is inherited,” she said. “Dyslexic individuals have different sensory perceptions. These different sensory perceptions are the reason why the attention of dyslexic people diminishes when they come in contact with letters, which in turn causes them to make errors in reading and spelling.”
What it is
There is no one profile of dyslexia, but typically, people have trouble sounding out words, blending letter sounds into words while reading, mastering the rules of spelling and grammar, and expressing what they know in written formats, Horowitz said.
“Some people with dyslexia are accurate readers at a slower pace but struggle to understand what they have read because they expend all of their mental resources figuring out what the words are and keeping track of what they are reading,” he said. “Others are slow, labored readers, but do OK with comprehension.
“People with dyslexia do not have vision problems that are causing them to struggle in reading. The problem stems from the way that printed text and the sounds of the language are processed in their brains. It’s not that their brains can’t do this processing; it’s that it is done in ways that are inefficient.”
Also, dyslexia is not intelligence-related.
“Dyslexics are not less intelligent than non-dyslexics — quite the opposite is often true,” Pailer-Duller said. “However, dyslexics often score low on intelligence tests because these tests attempt to measure intelligence by measuring sensory perceptions. But these are different in dyslexic individuals, which does not make them stupid, just that the test is inadequate.”
How to help
For people with dyslexia, “parents are absolutely critical and family support is hugely important,” Horowitz said. “Remember: dyslexia is what the child has, not who they are. They have areas of strength and interest just like everyone else, and in some cases, because they work so hard to compensate for their areas of challenge, they can be very high achievers and role models for their peers and for the general community.
Parents need to understand as much as they can about dyslexia, abandon any feelings of guilt, and help their child to become a strong and effective self-advocate.”
Schools are not required to give dyslexics extra help, but in some states, an individualized education plan is possible where dyslexic students receive help on standardized testing, Pailer-Duller said.
As an example, “a dyslexic child with reading problems can receive additional assistance for reading instructions to solve math problems.
However, dyslexic students have to do the reading portion of the standardized test themselves — without help.
So this partial help does not go a long way,” she said.
Teachers who are knowledgeable about dyslexia can do a lot within the school setting to help a dyslexic child.
“Examples are that grading focuses on content and expression, and not on spelling. Teachers should avoid calling on dyslexic children to read aloud in front of the whole class if the child is not comfortable with it,” Pailer-Duller said. “It is very important to understand that the schoolteacher can only do so much. A dyslexic child will always need additional individualized training, either with a specialist or with parents.”
Written by Melissa Erickson from Family Magazine, April 2014 issue, Gatehouse Media
Camp RSA! Ready, Set, Action! A Camp Leader’s Guide ~ Adventures in Writing & Performing promises to be a time-saving teacher’s treasure brimming with both stimulating and calming fun-learning activities. Whether summer, autumn, or mid-winter camps during some of the lengthier school holidays, after school programs, or during the regular school year, educators may love the convenience this book of supplemental materials can offer.
Camp RSA! serves busy teachers with abundant strategies and exercises to encourage young learners to act as if…, to practice teacher-student role reversal, and to role play in a positive fashion to foster higher self-esteem, greater self-confidence, and a better self- image for happier, more successful lives.
Helping youngsters of differing levels of ability in various areas to understand each other better by helping them to see from a different viewpoint to gain perspective and to encourage tolerance, acceptance, and kindness is a quiet underlying objective.
All the activities, exercises, and games are presented with the utmost desire to give young learners, whether dyslexic or not, the opportunity to learn in the spirit of joy and to believe in themselves to make their own dreams come true. ~ Linda Davis-Kyle, Editor and Contributor
The Creators of Camp RSA! Ready, Set, Action! A Camp Leader’s Guide ~ Adventures in Writing & Performing
David Carlson, dyslexic originator and publisher of Ready, Set, Action! An Entertainment Fun Book for Parents of Dyslexic Pre-Teens~Adventures in Writing & Performing and its extension Camp RSA! Ready, Set, Action! A Camp Leader’s Guide and its companion Camp RSA! Ready, Set, Action! Journal ~ Adventures in Writing & Performing for pre-teens, has held a lifelong dream to publish books to help dyslexic and non-dyslexic students alike.
Linda Davis-Kyle, MA, in English, ACCET certified to instruct English as a Foreign Language, and an internationally published professional writer, has worked some magic to make Carlson’s publishing dreams come true. Through editing, teaching, and writing, Davis-Kyle encourages writers around the world. In August 2013, she collaborated with five international dyslexia authorities — Dr. Astrid Kopp-Duller, Jasmina Ionkova, Elisabeth Nuhl, Mag. Livia R. Pailer-Duller, and Angelika Troller- Janesch — to compose “Fun-Inspired Learning Games from Teachers’ Treasures”www.dyslexia.me.
Yesterday, we presented the Handwriting worksheet wizard, today we bring you the math worksheet wizard. These math wizards make arithmetic worksheets for your children. Rather than being level-specific, these are general math worksheets that can be used by any elementary school student. Just choose the settings that are appropriate for your child. Access the math worksheet wizard here. Again, this is a free resource for teachers and parents.
