by Sarah Major, M.Ed
Dyscalculia is sometimes referred to as dyslexia in math. Because understanding and working with numbers requires skilled mental imaging, children who are not highly visual, or who have trouble visualizing concepts, sometimes struggle with computation.
Here are some recommendations for teaching your child with dyscalculia. Show the meaning of computation using real objects for the child to manipulate. This will help your child visualize what is going on and provide a strong foundation for future learning. Purposefully lead your child into the practice of visual imprinting for numbers. Purposefully tie number symbols to the "how much" of a number using concrete objects. Act out the action in a math problem. Make sure your child understands the process that occurs in a calculation. Allow a lot of practice time. Use visuals and rhymes to learn math facts. Use the visuals as a basis for having your child add number concepts to his mental "image bank." As she is working a problem, have your child demonstrate the problem using manipulatives, and have her explain verbally what she is doing in order to create a multisensory learning experience. Encourage your child to draw pictures of what the math problem is asking and talk about what he is doing as he draws.
You may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I don’t have time to create lessons from scratch each day.” Here are some specifics to look for in math curriculums in order to make sure that your child’s needs are met. Look for resources that incorporate patterns and puzzles, and visual and kinesthetic elements. Stories also play a big role in helping children understand and remember concepts. Look for resources that teach number recognition through visuals, songs, and body motions. Look for resources that allow for purposeful transition from visual experiences with numbers, to acting out problems and creating them using manipulatives. The transition from concrete to abstract happens in a very systematic way for those children who can work problems using manipulatives, but cannot transfer that knowledge and skill to paper and pencil.
Incorporating these elements into your child’s math-time will help build a visualization foundation and ensure that his or her unique learning needs are met!
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah has homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child1st.com
800-881-0912
PO Box 150226
Grand Rapids, MI 49515
Dyscalculia is sometimes referred to as dyslexia in math. Because understanding and working with numbers requires skilled mental imaging, children who are not highly visual, or who have trouble visualizing concepts, sometimes struggle with computation.
Here are some recommendations for teaching your child with dyscalculia. Show the meaning of computation using real objects for the child to manipulate. This will help your child visualize what is going on and provide a strong foundation for future learning. Purposefully lead your child into the practice of visual imprinting for numbers. Purposefully tie number symbols to the "how much" of a number using concrete objects. Act out the action in a math problem. Make sure your child understands the process that occurs in a calculation. Allow a lot of practice time. Use visuals and rhymes to learn math facts. Use the visuals as a basis for having your child add number concepts to his mental "image bank." As she is working a problem, have your child demonstrate the problem using manipulatives, and have her explain verbally what she is doing in order to create a multisensory learning experience. Encourage your child to draw pictures of what the math problem is asking and talk about what he is doing as he draws.
You may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I don’t have time to create lessons from scratch each day.” Here are some specifics to look for in math curriculums in order to make sure that your child’s needs are met. Look for resources that incorporate patterns and puzzles, and visual and kinesthetic elements. Stories also play a big role in helping children understand and remember concepts. Look for resources that teach number recognition through visuals, songs, and body motions. Look for resources that allow for purposeful transition from visual experiences with numbers, to acting out problems and creating them using manipulatives. The transition from concrete to abstract happens in a very systematic way for those children who can work problems using manipulatives, but cannot transfer that knowledge and skill to paper and pencil.
Incorporating these elements into your child’s math-time will help build a visualization foundation and ensure that his or her unique learning needs are met!
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah has homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child1st.com
800-881-0912
PO Box 150226
Grand Rapids, MI 49515
