Do you know what dyscalculia means? And no, I don’t mean dyslexia. I mean dyscalculia. So let me explain: Developmental dyscalculia is a condition that effects the ability to acquire arithmetic skills.  A third grade teacher I was working with once, complained to me, “I have a student who keeps saying 3x1=1. Why is she trying to be such a smarty pants?” My response was that this could be a red flag for a math disability. 

Researchers reported that 5.9% - 13.8% of students may have a mathematics learning disability. A year before, other researchers stated that 5% - 17% of students have dyslexia. These estimates are based on child population. There is really no adult data available. Researchers have posited that up to 40% of students who have dyslexia may also have dyscalculia. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of research being conducted on mathematics learning disabilities. Since 2000 there has been 5.5 times the number of articles written about dyslexia as has been written about dyscalculia.

There are folks out there that do not believe that math anxiety exists and certainly not dyscalculia.  Researchers found that more than half of middle school students would rather eat broccoli than do math. About 44% of middles school students would rather take out the trash than do math. A way to mitigate this dislike of math is to give credence to the existence of math anxiety and mathematics learning disabilities.

One consequence of poor mathematical skills is limited job opportunities. The number of dyscalculic students entering higher education remains small wherever there are mandatory exams that include mathematics. Besides academic issues dyscalculic students have social issues. They isolate themselves to avoid eating out with friends. They are embarrassed because they have a hard time figuring out their share of the bill or what the tip should be.  The higher education community should advocate for more research about and interventions in mathematics learning abilities.

Certain teaching interventions or strategies to use with students of all ages include:

1. Talking or writing out a problem.
2. Restating word problems in a new way can help organize information.
3. At the Fall 2019 Touro College Faculty Development workshop, Barbara Oakley talked about using metaphors.
4. Songs and mnemonics are helpful. Do you know the song for the quadratic formula? Here is one video example of the song for the quadratic formula.
5. Retrieval practice is the way to go.

References:

Shalev and Gross-Tsur (2005). Developmental dyscalculia: a prospective six-year follow- up Medicine & Child Neurology. 47:121-125.

Shaywitz & Shaywitz (2004). Reading Disability and the Brain. Educational Leadership. 61(6). 6-11.

Boaler, J. (2015). What’s Math Got to do with it? NY, NY Penguin Books