Ds8-1/2 and math (Dyslexia)

[Maeintx]

We had ds tested for dyslexia at age 8. He has moderate to severe according to our school district's testing team.

 

Reading, spelling, is progressing, very slowly but we're making headway and I see the repetition sinking in. He still makes many mistakes confusing letter order in words, etc., but can frequently self-correct.

 

But math has become our biggest stumbling block.

 

We're doing 2 and 3 digit addition. I *thought* he understood but I see he's struggling with the orientation of going the opposite direction in reading. We're emphasizing ones place, tens place, hundreds etc. and he has manipulatives but he doesn't like them. Today was a mess. He still writes many numbers backwards though he will recognize it if I point it out.

 

What program have you found successful for teaching math with a struggling learner/dyslexia? Or any great hints on teaching strategies. This is our first year at home btw.

 

We are considering vision therapy currently as well.

[RamonaQ]

At 8 1/2 I would still scribe for my ds for part of his math. Other things I did was:

 

1- paired math, I would start the ones column, let him do the 10s, etc...

2-I also would encourage ds to use whatever he needed if he didn't recall the fact (charts, fingers, manipulatives, calculator).

3- ALWAYS use the same language-- always follow the exact procedure, using same language

4-The other thing I, I made our math paper which was just really big grid paper and I would color code each column as we worked (using different colored highlighters-- but always the same, ie-pink for ones, yellow for 10s,etc...)

5-Rhymes/ chants...see number 3. I remember making up a little chant for long division that we chant before we began.

 

As far as number reversals, I ignored it at that age. I think at a separate time you can work on number writing automaticity (like handwriting practice... write numbers 1 through 10 three times each day).

[EKS]

Can he do 2 and 3 digit addition mentally? It is a better place to start because you go left to right and the concept of place value is more obviously reinforced. You also get away from the idea that this type of addition is merely adding columns of numbers (which not only can befuddle dyslexics, it is fuzzy thinking all the way around).

 

So (in case you haven't done it) this is what I'd do. Start with easy ones (no regrouping). 53+24. 50+20=70 and 3+4=7 and 70+7=77. Once this is easy move on to ones requiring regrouping: 39+45. 30+40=70 and 9+5=14 and 70+14=84. Then add more difficulty: 95+31. 90+30=120 and 5+1=6 and 120+6=126. And finally a double doozy: 87+96. 80+90=170 and 7+6=13 and 170+13=183.

 

If he can't hold all the numbers in his head, write it out as he tells you what he is doing.

 

Do something similar with 3 digit numbers. Once your child can do this easily, then move back to the standard algorithm.

[Maeintx]

Can he do 2 and 3 digit addition mentally? It is a better place to start because you go left to right and the concept of place value is more obviously reinforced. You also get away from the idea that this type of addition is merely adding columns of numbers (which not only can befuddle dyslexics, it is fuzzy thinking all the way around).

 

So (in case you haven't done it) this is what I'd do. Start with easy ones (no regrouping). 53+24. 50+20=70 and 3+4=7 and 70+7=77. Once this is easy move on to ones requiring regrouping: 39+45. 30+40=70 and 9+5=14 and 70+14=84. Then add more difficulty: 95+31. 90+30=120 and 5+1=6 and 120+6=126. And finally a double doozy: 87+96. 80+90=170 and 7+6=13 and 170+13=183.

 

If he can't hold all the numbers in his head, write it out as he tells you what he is doing.

 

Do something similar with 3 digit numbers. Once your child can do this easily, then move back to the standard algorithm.

 

This helps a lot. Thank you.

 

He actually can hold the numbers in his head for the problems like 99 + 41, etc. and then writes the number left to right for the answer. He does show his "trading or carrying" but holds the answer in his head until he is done. I just worried as we get into larger problems with thousands, etc., that it would become too much.

 

I also was worried about scribing for him because typically math is a stronger area than the language area. Trying to get out of public school mentality is a process for both of us. I feel better and wonder if my expectations are a bit high for him right now and adds to the frustration.

[Maeintx]

At 8 1/2 I would still scribe for my ds for part of his math. Other things I did was:

 

1- paired math, I would start the ones column, let him do the 10s, etc...

2-I also would encourage ds to use whatever he needed if he didn't recall the fact (charts, fingers, manipulatives, calculator).

3- ALWAYS use the same language-- always follow the exact procedure, using same language

4-The other thing I, I made our math paper which was just really big grid paper and I would color code each column as we worked (using different colored highlighters-- but always the same, ie-pink for ones, yellow for 10s,etc...)

5-Rhymes/ chants...see number 3. I remember making up a little chant for long division that we chant before we began.

 

As far as number reversals, I ignored it at that age. I think at a separate time you can work on number writing automaticity (like handwriting practice... write numbers 1 through 10 three times each day).

 

Thank you for the ideas. #3 is something I know I need to work on. I will let the reversals slide a bit so that is not adding to the frustration. I like your idea for making graph paper.

[ElizabethB]

I would work on the reversals separately. I like the HWT chalkboard.

[Maeintx]

I would work on the reversals separately. I like the HWT chalkboard.

 

If he is practicing he can always write them the correct way, both numbers and letters. We do use the HWT for his penmanship. We will continue to practice though.

 

It is maybe a dyspraxia issue? When he is in deep concentration mode is when he makes his reversals.

[merry gardens]

When you are correcting his work, (when/if you aren't scribing for him) watch for those dyslexic-type errors, such as reversals andpoint out to him what he gets right, (as well as what he got wrong.) I think my little guy would have struggled a lot more in public school because he was really strong in some math concepts while confusing some of the basic language and symbols of math. He would write 6 for 9, flip place values like 21 for 12, he confused the various signs, and he even struggled to learn to count to ten when he was in K--yet he understand math concepts and patterns far beyond that! If a teacher had just kept saying "wrong", "wrong", "wrong" instead of pointing out what was right vs. what was wrong, my poor little guy might not have figured out what exactly he was doing wrong.

 

 

The same types of things we did to teach him the alphabet (writing in sand, corn meal or salt boxes, and various other multi-sensory and large motor activities) helped him overcome the dyslexic-type errors he made in math. I would add in those activities in addition to his math workbooks, often doing them with him as I went over his work with him. Sky-writing (making big motions in the air) is a really easy to stop and do when you notice those mistakes. We also frequently work math problems on a big white board with various colored markers.

[Dobela]

I would definately look into vision therapy. He may have other vision issues that are compounding with his dyslexia and making life more difficult than it can be. My son really struggled with math and the changing of directions because his eyes were not tracking together. One would track,then his brain would switch to the other eye, and back again... no way could he switch directions because his brain was already jumping around the page. In addition he had depth issues and convergence issues. He never saw a word or letter or number the same way twice even though I had been repeatedly told he had 20/20 vision. If you haven't already, check out the signs and symptoms page at www.covd.org .

[PeterPan]

Ditto on getting his eyes checked. He very well could have some things there that are fixable. http://www.covd.org to find a developmental optometrist. You don't want a regular eye doc, because they only screen for the deeper things. You need a developmental optometrist. He may also benefit from OT. When our VT doc evaluated dd, she screened for bilaterality issues and sent dd for an OT evaluation. Both are good, but sounds like the VT would dramatically affect his school work.

[siloam]

I am going to be a big lazy and copy a post I made earlier that might help:

 

With a 4 digit number I would even break it into their place value on the white board if needed (can use the place value cards to help here):

 

I would begin by writing out the whole problem, then tell him we will deal with one part at a time.

 

..1245

+2456

 

If he doesn't know it right off, walk him through the steps (I show using the two five method here):

 

.5+6=

...../..\

5+5+1=

.\../

.10+1=11

 

Then I would right the 1 under the ones place and ask him what to do with the 10? I would assume he won't be able to tell me, and if he can't I would just say, "don't you think it need to go with the other 10's over here and write 10 above the 45:

 

.....10

..1245

+2456

 

Now the 10's:

 

10+40+50= 100 Hopefully he will see that one. Now I would tell him we have no left over 10's and write the 0 under the 10 column then ask him what he thinks we should do with the 100? Hopefully he will remember the 10 from last time and tell you to write it up top.

 

...100

.....10

..1245

+2456

 

Now you add the 100's:

 

100+200+400=700

 

This time there is no carrying and you get to just write the 7 below the 100's. Then you add the 1000's:

 

1000+2000=3000

 

Again you just write the answer under the 1000's.

 

This way he can see the place value in action, and I would continue to do it that way till he is solid on it, then talk to him about how we don't have to write out the zeros for it to continue to work, because we know they are secretly there even if we don't write them.

 

With the reversals, don't let them get you down. My 3rd dd did them through 3rd grade. I just continued to require her to fix them, but didn't make a big deal out of it. She still occasionally does them now, but most of the time she sees them and corrects them herself. It just took 3 years to train her to see them. With an older child it probably wouldn't take so long.

 

BTW I use Right Start as our main program and love it because it explains the why of math, and has so many hands on to help them go from concrete to abstract. That said it is light on worksheets so unless you play the games a lot you would probably need to supplement with a second program for a SN child. Depends on the issue, my kids are dyslexic, which means they need to over learn it to own it. RS doesn't have enough practice for that, but the games have worked in teaching them their math facts and reinforcing the processes.

 

Heather