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Need some guidance-dyscalculia


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My dd 9 was diagnosed with a math disability last week. I am trying to wrap my brain around this & need some assistance.

 

We are using TT3 right now. She likes it-mainly bc she gets to use computer & I don't sit by her. She does the lesson & only comes to me if she needs help (always a few problems/concepts she struggles with on each lesson). I think she likes the independence. However, I don't think this is best way to tackle a math disability! We used MUS in past (primer & alpha).

 

The 2 remediation programs suggested by neuropsych examiner were Math Flash & Pirate Math. I looked into both but can not find the actual Math Flash program. It was used/developed in a study but I can't find where to actually purchase it. It did sound like a good program. Pirate Math I found but it's more for word problem difficulties which I don't think she needs. Her language skills are very strong.

 

Others on here suggested Ronit Bird. I like the looks of it although I am unsure how the ebooks work. I know I would start with dots. But do I not need any of the other books? The toolkit or overcoming?

 

I feel like I should drop TT but should I find a replacement? And if so-what? Or should I drop everything & just start with RB stuff until we get some of the core skills solidified?

 

DD also has other issues but the math is what I am stumped about. I really don't know how to proceed. Any input is appreciated!

 

Oh-neuropsych didn't give me any examples of math issues she struggled with other than just 'calculations'

She doesn't know math facts, she uses fingers to count sometimes, she gets place value confused & sometimes can't remember the written number or reverses them-says 18 for 81, 12 is almost always 20. She sometimes gets confused about whether she should add or subtract, She can skip count & knows the color/number of MUS blocks. She forgets lessons from one day to the next. There is probably more but maybe that helps paint the picture.

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:grouphug:   fruitofthewomb

 

I recommend you read past posts on dyscalculia on this board.  Lots of info that might help a bit.  

 

I would work on the Ronit Bird stuff maybe exclusively for a bit.  If your child likes logic puzzles you might incorporate those.  The Code Crackers books are fun.  Would she be willing to use a multiplication chart and a number chart to help scaffold her computation while you work on that?

 

You might also look at Dynamo Math.  British program.  There is an activity very similar to what RB does that you and your child do together (critical component so it should never be skipped).  Then there are activities done on the computer to reinforce that activity/concept.  Then the student has worksheet pages to do.  It can all be repeated as many times as needed since the computer changes the problems each time and the worksheets can be regenerated with new numbers. There are 4 levels with multiple lessons in each level and multiple components to each lesson.  

 

It is pricey, though.  I think it went up in cost.  It finally helped DD with some of her subitization struggles, so I don't regret spending the money.  

 

Since your child likes working independently, and the computer and worksheet component can be done independently, she might like DM.  I will warn you, it steps back to very very basic math.  DD was fine with that since math is normally a real slog.  DS was a bit insulted.

 

You might also look at CLE math AFTER something like Dynamo Math, but I would still pair it with RB.  If you give the placement test for CLE, I would start with Level 100 and just keep moving forward.  It might give you a better idea of where specific gaps are.  You could target those then start her at whatever level she tests into.  Tight spiral approach, everything introduced in gentle increments, pretty independent booklets, although things start ramping up in the second half of 3rd grade.  We had to slow down there to solidify things and measuring with a ruler still messes with DD's head.

 

In the long run, it will depend on whether your child seems to actually be "getting" computation after a lot of remediation.  In some areas she may end up just having to move on and use scaffolding for those components.  Doesn't mean she cannot understand and do higher maths necessarily.  She just may never do really well with computation.  Don't give up on that yet, though.  Try RB.  Try maybe going back to Math U See.  Look at Dynamo Math.  Etc.

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Though perhaps it might be more helpful to understand your daughters difficulties with math.

In terms of her tumour and the removal of major part of her right Temporal lobe?

Which given its extension from the frontal lobe to the brain stem.

The removal could have involved part of the Parietal lobe, that sits under the Temporal lobe.

 

The Parietal lobes, are what we use to concieve of Space, externally and internally.

Our right Parietal lobe, is also what we use to concieve of where our left hand and fingers are, in space.

 

Though another crucial role of the Parietal lobes, with one on each side?

Is that the brain uses these 2 Parietal lobes, to concieve of an locate opposing points.

 

With ourselves sitting in centre, it uses the right Parietal lobe, to concieve of  the past, of getting smaller and taking away.

But it then uses the left Parietal lobe, to concieve of the future, of getting larger, and making an addition.

Also, forward and reverse.

 

Though given the effect on her right Parietal lobe, which would also effect her left hand.

What needs to be looked at, is the potential of her left Parietal lobe.

Where she could use the finger counting method, that I have talked about here?

While this uses the left hand, an alternative could use her right hand.

This basically uses the little finger to concieve of 1.

Adding the further fingers, to form 2,3,4.

5 is then singularly used to represent 5.

This allows the fingers to be used again and added to thumb 5, for 6,7,8,9.

 

While this model, crosses over to the other hand, for the place value of 10.

What needs to be considered, is the potential of the right foot with its 5 toes?

So that 'place value' is given meaning, as it is carried from the hand to the foot.

 

Though this is rather focussed on developing a way to concieve of math.

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My ds LOVES the soroban finger counting Geodob is explaining!  He has accepted it very readily and it feels good to him.  We use it now all the time to explore multi-digit things too.  (25-10, etc.)  It's GREAT, highly recommend.

 

I've been looking at this series of workbooks Abacus Mind Math Level 1 Workbook 1: (of 2) Excel at Mind Math with Soroban, a Japanese Abacus  to make it easy to move forward.  Maybe we'll start them in January?  There's an instructor book but I haven't seen it.  I figured it might be possible to move forward without, given how many video explanations you can find on the web.  Dunno.

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Though perhaps it might be more helpful to understand your daughters difficulties with math.

In terms of her tumour and the removal of major part of her right Temporal lobe?

Which given its extension from the frontal lobe to the brain stem.

The removal could have involved part of the Parietal lobe, that sits under the Temporal lobe.

 

The Parietal lobes, are what we use to concieve of Space, externally and internally.

Our right Parietal lobe, is also what we use to concieve of where our left hand and fingers are, in space.

 

Though another crucial role of the Parietal lobes, with one on each side?

Is that the brain uses these 2 Parietal lobes, to concieve of an locate opposing points.

 

With ourselves sitting in centre, it uses the right Parietal lobe, to concieve of the past, of getting smaller and taking away.

But it then uses the left Parietal lobe, to concieve of the future, of getting larger, and making an addition.

Also, forward and reverse.

 

Though given the effect on her right Parietal lobe, which would also effect her left hand.

What needs to be looked at, is the potential of her left Parietal lobe.

Where she could use the finger counting method, that I have talked about here?

While this uses the left hand, an alternative could use her right hand.

This basically uses the little finger to concieve of 1.

Adding the further fingers, to form 2,3,4.

5 is then singularly used to represent 5.

This allows the fingers to be used again and added to thumb 5, for 6,7,8,9.

 

While this model, crosses over to the other hand, for the place value of 10.

What needs to be considered, is the potential of the right foot with its 5 toes?

So that 'place value' is given meaning, as it is carried from the hand to the foot.

 

Though this is rather focussed on developing a way to concieve of math.

I am fascinated by the finger counting method & plan on trying it with her.

 

Both parietal lobes are intact. I will have to look at latest MRI results but I am fairly sure there is some tumor there & I also think the right parietal lobe is where her seizures originate from. She is being admitted to EMU tomorrow for a MEG, SPECT, long term EEG, & MRI. Brain mapping. She has had this done before. Quite interesting to see them pinpoint her exact motor & language areas.

 

Anyway-the only side effect of surgery we have seen is peripheral vision loss.

 

Thank you for replying! I am still reading old threads & enjoy reading your thoughts.

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Well I know they can target peripheral vision because mine was poor before I did the VT exercises.  And VT makes new wiring in the brain, which seems like you *ought* to be able to make some new pathways if you work on it.  Dunno, just a thought.  That's great that you're investigating it.  :)

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With 'peripheral vision', exercises simply involve directly practicing it?

As a starting point, simply shift your visual focus to any line of text .

Then stay focused on a word in the line.

Without moving your eyes, see how many words you can read either side of that word?

Where you will find that if you practice this, you will be able to see further and further.

 

An exercise chart for this, uses lines of 'letter blocks'.

Such as:

BGS HSG KML TPQ NKS LQY MRJ.

 

Looking at the P in TPQ, how many letters can you recognize either of the P ?

 

Where creating a page with lines of letters, with spacing between each line.

Practicing this daily, will typically cause a growth in how many letters can be recognized with peripheral vision.

 

But it could also done just using one eye, and then other eye.

Where in terms of her peripheral vision loss?

It would be interesting to find out whether their is difference between each side, and then also each eye?

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The Parietal Lobes are also important for motor skills.

If you close your eyes, and then with the tip of a finger on one hand.

Try to touch the tips of the fingers on the other hand?

 

Where the important thing, is with how you know where the tips of your fingers are?

It is actually your left Parietal Lobe, that locates where the fingers on your right  hand are.

With your left hand represented in your right Parietal Lobe.

 

So that problems with the right Parietal Lobe, will create a difficulty with concieving of where the body and limbs are, on the left side.

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But I wonder if it's possible to correct since the anatomy is missing? Her right temporal lobe is gone. There are no pathways...

 

But I also know that the brain can compensate.

 

Also...she is having TMS not SPECT. And functional MRI along with all the above that I listed.

I don't know, but if you ask a really good COVD Fellow, they ought to know.  People regains skills after strokes where there is brain damage.  Therapy will often help develop new routes for wiring.  They have MRI evidence now to demonstrate this before/after.

 

I'm sure there are many methods of working on peripheral vision.  One that our place used was a page with a ton of targets (usually letters) to touch in order or say, depending on how you were using the sheet.  They'd have you fixate on an image in the center of the page, bring your face within a certain distance, and then use that peripheral vision to touch and identify the targets.  They were in rings around the center, so you could tell as your peripheral vision was included.  Ironically, that for me was a real problem, and it's one of those things that affects driving, which is why it's worth making some effort on just to see what can happen.  Even if she never plans to drive, it's still useful for safety, making it easier to find things on the shelf, etc.

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I don't know, but if you ask a really good COVD Fellow, they ought to know. People regains skills after strokes where there is brain damage. Therapy will often help develop new routes for wiring. They have MRI evidence now to demonstrate this before/after.

 

I'm sure there are many methods of working on peripheral vision. One that our place used was a page with a ton of targets (usually letters) to touch in order or say, depending on how you were using the sheet. They'd have you fixate on an image in the center of the page, bring your face within a certain distance, and then use that peripheral vision to touch and identify the targets. They were in rings around the center, so you could tell as your peripheral vision was included. Ironically, that for me was a real problem, and it's one of those things that affects driving, which is why it's worth making some effort on just to see what can happen. Even if she never plans to drive, it's still useful for safety, making it easier to find things on the shelf, etc.

You & geodob make good points. I guess since no one ever mentioned vision therapy I assumed it was just there forever.

 

I am so thankful for all that I am learning here!

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Guest JDWellness

You might also consult with a local neurofeedback provider, even with an area that has been removed, neurofeedback can encourage and enhance more rewiring in the brain...

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