DIY Dyscalculia

The tools you need to assess and manage dyscalculia

Does my child have dyscalculia?

Start here! Panamath is a free tool to assess the basics.

 

. . . more assessments . . .

Books about dyscalculia

When it comes to multiplication, students with dyscalculia need to do a lot more groundwork than using flash cards to memorize math facts. Early on, students benefit from relating multiplication to array models (practice with Bunny Times on from NCTM) and grouping. A firm foundation in real-life scenarios is key to making multiplication an intuitive part of mathematical thinking. Intensive work in "counting by" (fives, tens, etc.) is also essential.

 

Working with two-digit and higher multiplication poses a significantly greater challenge. The box method is often employed by teachers, but for students with dyscalculia this needs to first be modeled with unit blocks (ones, tens, hundreds). Memorizing an algorithm is not enough, as there are multiple avenues for mistakes. A solid grasp of multiplication must be built steadily and with care, as it is the foundation for division, working with fractions, and much of higher math.