Dyscalculia: A quick introduction and teaching resources

Dyscalculia is a cognitive disability which affects between 2-5 % of the population. Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability affecting the acquisition of arithmetic skills. The difference between people with dyscalculia and people who just are not good at Math, is that dyscalculia can affect students who have a high IQ, regularly attend school, have supportive backgrounds and yet they are unable to do what everyone else in their class is able to do. This article is intended to bring this cognitive disability to the attention of teachers, as it was brought to my attention through my studies (sharing is caring). Below is a great introductory video on the cognitive disability which you may find interesting (11 minutes).

From previous readings, one of the keys to dyscalculia is intervention and the use of cognitive tools. I would like to suggest three technological cognitive tools which I have  found useful for students who don’t necessarily have dyscalculia, but find number acquisition difficult.  Using these tools I have witnessed remarkable improvements in their recall of number:

  1. iPad: Flash to Pass (free app)
  2. SMART board Notebook software which enables students to interact with hands on activities (ie movement, sorting, ordering)
  3. Rapid Recall by Study Ladder (free) http://www.studyladder.com.au/about/rapid-recall?lc_set

Here is a link to a dyscalculia forum should anyone have students with, or children with the cognitive disability:  http://www.dyscalculiaforum.com/forum/index.php

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *