DYSCALCULIA

DYSCALCULIA

Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetic skills. Dyscalculia is difficulty with numbers. It is different from an individual’s ability with mathematics but has specific difficulties with numbers. Having dyscalculia means having huge problems in Maths, in spine of being of normal intelligence.
A condition that affects that ability to acquire arithmetic skills Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack of an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence. It is a genetic anomaly that may result in a specific deficit in the learning of numerical skills. Four to six percent of the population is dyscalculic. Many individuals with dyscalculia also have dyslexia.
Helping a student identify his/her strengths and weakness is the first step; Pity will not help, but patience and individual attention will. Following identification, parents, teachers and other educators can work together to establish strategies that will help the student learn math more effectively.

WARNING SIGNS
Good at speaking, reading, and writing but slow to develop counting and arithmetic problem solving skills.
Good memory for printed words, but difficulty reading numbers or recalling numbers in sequence.
Difficulty playing strategy games like chess bridge and so on.
Difficulty keeping score when playing board and card games.

IDENTIFICATION
Difficulty with basic math skills, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Unable to organize objects a logical way.
Difficulty to measure, eg. Telling time, using money.
Problems in differentiating –sizes, shapes and quantities.
Inability to understand place value.
No concept of fractions.
No problem solving skills.
Reliance on counting strategies rather than ‘knowing’.
Reverse and/ or transposing numbers.

Help the Dyscalculics:
Use graph paper for students who have difficulty organizing ideas on paper.
Work on finding different ways to approach math facts.
Give extra time to memories math fact. Repetition is important.
Use rhythm or music to help memorize.
Use color coding for mathematical signs.
Hands-held calculators can help a learner who has problems writing numbers in the correct order.
Provide uncluttered work sheets so that the student is not overwhelmed by too much visual information.
Most important, be patient! The slightest misunderstanding or break in logic can overwhelm the student.