dyscalculia

[Twilight Woods]

I read this article:

 

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/31/6732939-bad-at-math-or-is-it-dyscalculia?gt1=43001

 

and I think that my DD has this. But what do I do? She is finishing up Public school [4 days left] and I had previously asked the school to test her for a LD and they wont b/c her test scores do not warrant testing [one of the reasons I am pulling her]. When she tested below they would re-teach and reassess until she passed.

 

I will be using Horizons Math with her. What can I do to make math less stressful/hair pulling experience for her?

[starwarsmomma]

I have it, so does my oldest son. Both diagnosed through scottish rite.

 

It's not that bad. A few things-- reading clocks. I would tell people (as a child) that every time I looked at a face of a clock and tried to read the numbers that the numbers would move around and I couldn't get them to be still. Nobody believed me. I was 14 before I could focus on a clock face enough to tell time. It wasn't a stupidity thing, it was the dang numbers wouldn't be still! I could tell the time, if the numbers would cooperate! LOL

 

Son is the same way. He was public schooled until end of 2nd grade. His teacher sent him to the principals offce for refusing to tell her the time on his clock worksheet-- wen he told her he couldnt read it.

 

If you put math in a circle-- we will have trouble with it. I fought his teacher because she thought it was "Cute" to use worksheets with artsy car tires and the math problems in them...

 

Son and I both often flip numbers. For example, we both KNOW that 6x4 is 24, but often will write 42. We KNOW the answer, but our brains flip it. constantly. So we both have to slow down and watch for that.

 

 

My advice is to do less worksheets, more mastering of a skill. If you give my son (or me) a page FULL of addition problems, we will mess up most of them. If you put less on a page, make them a larger font, or even ask verbally we have no problems. We can do the same work, sometimes the problem is the way its presented.

 

My son has thrived on TT. It's presented and explained well. Also, if he does flip the numbers, I can look at his scratch work and see he got the problem right, and correct it in the program so it's not counted wrong. It frustrates him to no end when he KNOWS he got the answer right, but flipped them.

 

Final word here-- the work IS able to be done, it's all in the way it's taught/presented. We both are very good at math, but the way public schools here present it is horrible.

[Twilight Woods]

Specifically-

 

She still at this age cannot tell time with a regular clock. It has to be digital. Yes we still work at it BUT unless it's on the hour forget it. She is totally overwhelmed. Same thing with the concepts of half-past quarter-till.

 

Money-

She cannot give change without using a calculator. Even better if I said I bought X for $9.75 and I gave you $10.00 how much do I get back she would not be able to break it down enough to write it down and figure it out.

 

I found out yesterday that they are allowed to use calculators in class.

[Love_to_Read]

Math U See might also be a good curriculum for her.

[starwarsmomma]

I assume this is your 9 year old?

 

It's OK. She cant do it RIGHT NOW. Probably because of the way she ahs (or hasn't) been taught.

 

No biggie. Pick ONE skill and work on it. ONLY one thing at a time. We started with money. We got real money out and put bright little dots on it. Each dot = 5 cents. Nickels, one dot. quarters, 5 dots.... etc...

 

Make her buy things from you. You are the store. Skittles cost 5 cents each, and she has 1.50. How many can she get? Oh, but wait-- the big marshmallows are 15 cents, and there's some m&m's that are 25 cents for a baggie.... (you get the idea)

 

Make sure it's a skill that is transferrable to life. It's the only way it made sense to my son and finally "clicked".

 

And you saw my post about the clock. relax on that one, let it go for now. She (and my son) get by just fine with digital, and it will be easier when they're older. I promise-- I have it too and I can read any clock. Let it go for now. This is part of it.

[Twilight Woods]

I assume this is your 9 year old?

 

It's OK. She cant do it RIGHT NOW. Probably because of the way she ahs (or hasn't) been taught.

 

No biggie. Pick ONE skill and work on it. ONLY one thing at a time. We started with money. We got real money out and put bright little dots on it. Each dot = 5 cents. Nickels, one dot. quarters, 5 dots.... etc...

 

Make her buy things from you. You are the store. Skittles cost 5 cents each, and she has 1.50. How many can she get? Oh, but wait-- the big marshmallows are 15 cents, and there's some m&m's that are 25 cents for a baggie.... (you get the idea)

 

Make sure it's a skill that is transferrable to life. It's the only way it made sense to my son and finally "clicked".

 

And you saw my post about the clock. relax on that one, let it go for now. She (and my son) get by just fine with digital, and it will be easier when they're older. I promise-- I have it too and I can read any clock. Let it go for now. This is part of it.

 

Thank you. I know she will eventually get it. She is just like me. I have never been diagnosed with it but I suspect Dyscalculia has been my issue since very young. Im not pushing the clock right now. We are working on money.

 

I just hate seeing her so frustrated and in tears-because I know how it is.

 

:)

[LizzyBee]

My 15 yo and 9 yo are dyslexic, and they've struggled some in math as a result. My 15 yo still has trouble telling time. With my 9 yo, we used the Kumon workbook on telling time, and she can now tell time better than the 15 yo. Barnes & Noble carries the Kumon workbooks.

[Geo]

My 9yods has dyscalculia. He's about halfway through CLE's 1st grade math program. It has worked very well for him. I also have excellent manipulatives for anything he needs to conceptualize on a concrete level. He needs to work at his own pace with lots of repetition. Oddly, clocks haven't been an issue for him yet, but we haven't gotten too far with it either. He does struggle with knowing where numbers are on a number line (though we've used one, ad nauseum), "counting-on" ...he wants to start at one, no matter what ("classic" dyscalculia). It took years to teach him to recognize, write and understand the value of 0-9, and he still struggles with reversals. Right now, he is enjoying slow, but steady progress.

 

What really cooks my noodle is that he has an intuitive grasp of electronic circuitry. He's worked through most of the Snap Circuit projects (692!) and is now beginning to learn how to use a computer interface that simulates an oscilloscope (visual electronic signals) and spectrum analyzer (frequency content)...the tools of electronic engineers. Aren't these guys usually mathletes? Go figure.

 

Geo

Edited June 2, 2011 by Geo