math program for math dyslexia

[pjssully]

HI=-I am looking for a good program for my saughter who has not been formally "labeled but will go through testing in september for learning disabiltiy. She just can't remember facts and gets headaches the minute she looks at a math page!!! We have tried sooo many curriculums and i just don't want to start another way, but also i am soooo unsure of what to do. The advice was made to go back to the beginning of singapore and so we have singapore 1A (she is in 4th grade!) Two days into it i am just wondering if this is the best option. She can do word problems relatively well, it's just the amount of math, the actual numbers on a page that really bother her. I don't think she is lazy, though i do think she has a self fulling prophecy of being bad at math. We have tried, without success: Math u see, horizons, saxon (though i may need to go back to this one)singapore, mastering mathematics, abeka, and bob jones. The one she has had the most success with has been saxon but she still doesn't know her math facts--it is so frustrating to me--i know she is not doing this purposely but i am so much at a loss for what to do.

any suggestions

pam

[Misty]

Singapore is torture for children like your daughter! My daughter suffered through it as well. I suggest RightStart Math. We have used it for almost 3 years now and it is supposed to be excellent for dyslexia.

 

http://www.alabacus.com

[Greta Lea]

My son actually does have an official label of Asperger syndrome and with this comes many issues, not just in math.

 

My son is currently in 8th grade, but is in Teaching Textbook's 6th grade math. He still doesn't have all his math facts memorized. When he was about 12yo, I decided to just give him a multiplication chart to use (he still counts on his fingers when adding and subtracting). He also still does math fact practice (online) EVERY day.

 

What has worked with him and his math facts is to simply drill them, but for a short time each day. For a while when he was around your dd's age, we did some flash card drills first thing in the mornign and then immediately after lunch, but both times were about 5 minutes only.

 

For his actual math program, Saxon worked the best until we started Teaching Textbooks. We did have a time between Saxon and TT when he used MUS Gamma and Delta, which he didn't do well with (OK, but not nearly as well as Saxon and TT).

 

Also, for my son it helped TREMENDOUSLY when we put him down a couple grade levels in math. Actually, when he was about your dd's age, we put him back down in Saxon 1. He ZOOMED through it. This not only solidified some concepts, gave us time to drill the facts, it also made him feel GREAT about math again because he was getting everything correct. He then Zoomed through about 1/2 of Saxon 2, then things slowed down to a normal pace. By the time we started Saxon 3, we would sometimes have to sit on a lesson for a few days before moving on, 'cuz he was struggling. But that was OK. On those days, he would do a workbook page, we'd just work on some sample problems I'd make up.

 

After Saxon 3, I knew he needed a workbook instead of the Saxon 5/4 textbook, so we started MUS. I wish now that I had just written the problems for him (he also has dysgraphia) using Saxon 5/4.

 

So far, my son is doing GREAT with Teaching Textbooks, but they only have this program beginning in 4th grade (well, 4th grade comes out at Christmas this year). I'd go through the lower levels of Saxon (maybe even repeat some levels, just to solidify concepts and build up confidence in math again (being afraid of math is NOT gonna help her...believe me I know, 'cuz I'm afraid of math). Once you finish Saxon 3, I recommend Teaching Textbooks.

 

HTH,

Greta:)

[Greta Lea]

I agree...Singapore is TORTURE for a child like yours and mine...just torture!

[prairiegirl]

I don't have an official diagnosis either but I think my dd has dyscalculia as well. We use RightStart, always have. RS is discovery based and uses a hands on method to teach math. My dd has problems with her math facts but she is slowly mastering them. RS uses games to cement those math facts.

 

I would also suggest that you might want to take a living math approach as a supplement. Due to my dd's difficulty with math, she acquired a math phobia. She hated math intensely. Once we started doing some living math things, she found that math can be fun. There are many books listed on the living math site that might help.

[Pongo]

We use this for my youngest, it has made her so confident. Good Luck!

[Vida Winter]

Can you just take some time off to work on facts?

 

I would recommend Addition the Fun Way and Multiplication the Fun Way -- these are facts paired with stories so it is much easier to remember than ordinary number drill.

 

Another thing I would recommend is Number Neighbors by Muggins Math. They have a video that shows how it works on their web site - it is one of the best math tools available in my opinion. It comes with a CD that has a whole 200+ page curriculum in PDF form that you can print out.

 

Number Neighbors is a set of tiles that you can set marbles on. If you watch their video it is easy to see the method they use to visually show a student what it means to use addition with regrouping or subtraction with borrowing. They can even do mult and division with these manipulatives, it is truly genius.

 

You must start with your child where they are, not where you think they should be. If you try to jump ahead too quickly, it will just result in frustration. Back up. Play games. Get those facts down. Don't assign a grade level to a skill -- a skill is a skill, and in math, many skills are sequential.

 

You can do it!

 

:grouphug:

Dana

[Peela]

My dyslexic son is similar.

I have ended up with an Australian program designed for "less academic" kids, or those struggling with maths- the lessons are very clearly presented, and have no "extras" on the page. Page presentation seems important for my son. Each page is a clear separate concept. He needs mastery.

But it still is "too much maths" and he works very slowly and gets frustrated and upset easily.

 

I would suggest that you may need to just be available for lots of help and walking her through her maths- I still have to with my 12yo- don't keep changing programs hoping one will click, just pick the one that seemed the best, and work slowly. Don't worry about the maths facts- the woman who tested my son said he may never learn his maths facts, so let him use a calculator. I don't do that, but I do have the multiplication chart on his desk for him to reference. We have taken quite a long break from drilling his facts, and soon I will go back to it for another burst, but I am honestly not sure that every kids is able to learn them perfectly, and that's ok.

The way it was explained to me is that dyslexic kids don't visualise- sometimes not at all, sometimes just not very well. When you learn maths facts, somehow the facts get imprinted on a normal person's brain, so that we "see" them when we recall them, but with a dyslexic, they just don't"see" them. They use other pathways to memorise, but they are far less efficient. I was amazed when the tester had my son recite series of numbers back that she told him- he could do far, far less than I could. He just couldn't hold them in his brain. Reciting them backward was impossible for him, yet not for me.

 

We did Singapore for a couple of years. It got literally too difficult for my son. He needed more practice, he didn't get fractions.

I wish I had been more patient and spent a lot more time using manipulatives, and taking time to really make sure he understood concepts, before moving on, when my son was younger- your dd's age. I kept thinking he was behind,and trying to keep him moving, and it backfired. He needed cakes and M&Ms and blocks, and I kept thinking he should be beyond that.

 

I was still of this mindset a few months ago, but since getting a diagnosis of dyslexia, I have realised I have got to stop expecting this kid to perform for me, and really meet him where he is at. So he does have a grade level book this year, which makes him feel good, but we will probably take 18 months to go through it. And, if he does understand a concept well, he only has to do odds or evens.

 

I found out that private school maths teachers who use this series of books (which I am not recommending since they are Australian) typically only assign half the sums. I have seen Saxon and Rod and Staff- its just too much sheer work. My son would get very, very frustrated because his brain cant stay switched on for that long. A few well executed sums are better than a pageful of sloppy ones. he might need to do a few sums on the same topic several days in a row, but trying to get him to do too much at once has always backfired because hethen gets stressed and then he really cant think!

 

So, I cant help you on the maths program, but I do think you shouldn't worry too much about the memory work- take the stress off it and just do maths with charts on the desk if necessary. Work with her if that helps her, and move as slowly as you need to. Take the stress off maths altogether, and relax and just take it slow. She has quite a few years left before she has to perform at that much higher level, and the concepts she solidifies now will make it much easier later.

[LizzyBee]

One of the speakers at the GIFTSNC (Giving and Getting Information For Teaching Special Needs Children) conference last weekend has 2 dyslexic children and she recommends Math-U-See. It's the closest thing to an Orton-Gillingham approach to math she's found that goes from K-12.

 

I also attended a seminar on how to teach math in a multi-sensory way using an OG approach. The woman who taught it was amazing. She's a tutor at ASDEC (Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Center, I think), and she also travels the country to train teachers. She doesn't recommend a particular curriculum, but emphasizes adapting the curriculum to meet OG principles (multisensory, explicit, systematic, cumulative). Throughout her seminar, several times I thought to myself, "singapore does that." I think Singapore would be a fantastic core curriculum for someone who has the creativity to adapt, supplement, and use appropriate manipulatives where needed.

 

I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out the math thing with my 12 yo. I got so many good ideas at the conference, but the problem is implementing them in the busy-ness of everyday life.

 

Oh, some things that have helped: triangle flash cards and times tales. For math facts, the most effective thing we did was to orally drill using the triangle flash cards for about 20-30 minutes per day (she was in 5th or 6th grade; I wouldn't drill that long with a young child). When she was fluent orally, we used calculadder worksheets. Times Tales was great for learning the upper multiplication tables (6 - 9's). The other day, I threw three dice and had dd multiply the numbers that came up. I was surprised at how fluent she was - now our priority is to use calculadders to help her get faster at getting the information from her brain to the paper. Also, I let her use a multiplication table while doing math. Since dyslexics and right brain learners learn by using pictures, using the multiplication tables every day has actually helped her learn them.

[TraceyS/FL]

My DD has a disorder that causes a variety of literature. One of the statements in the lit from the foundation said, "TS girls almost always struggle with math."

 

Really? So there is a reason we can't remember at 7 how to count to 10? (and 8.... finally we can do that).

 

MUS has been what is working, slowly for her. I don't sweat that she is still going thru Primer - she's not ready for Alpha. It takes a LONG time for something to click in her head. I expect my 4 yo to surpass her this year in math - heck, she already grasps adding. UGH. Another esteem issue to work thru.

 

I know that if i tried to put B in Singapore it would be a disaster. You have gotten some other ideas, and hopefully the testing will help you narrow down the path to follow.

 

:grouphug:

[TraceyS/FL]

One of the speakers at the GIFTSNC (Giving and Getting Information For Teaching Special Needs Children) conference last weekend has 2 dyslexic children and she recommends Math-U-See. It's the closest thing to an Orton-Gillingham approach to math she's found that goes from K-12.

 

Hijack.

 

I really really wanted to come up to the Conference. I just didn't find out about it in time to save the $$ to go :(

[LizzyBee]

Hijack.

 

I really really wanted to come up to the Conference. I just didn't find out about it in time to save the $$ to go :(

 

I hope you can come next year. It was very worthwhile.

[TraceyS/FL]

Are they going to do it? I know they were having attendance issues and said unless numbers went up that this would be the last one. I'm going to put it on the calendar if so!! I wanted to also go to the Turner Syndrome Conference, but that isn't working out this year either.

[LizzyBee]

Are they going to do it? I know they were having attendance issues and said unless numbers went up that this would be the last one. I'm going to put it on the calendar if so!! I wanted to also go to the Turner Syndrome Conference, but that isn't working out this year either.

 

They ended up having the largest attendance ever. Also, more people volunteered to help plan the conference. So I think they will do it again. I don't know if it will be the same weekend or not. It's hard to pick a good date because in the spring, they're competing with the big hs conferences; and they don't want to compete with the ADHD, dyslexia, etc conferences. I live 45 minutes from the conference. If you come, you're welcome to stay here to save the cost of a hotel room.

[TraceyS/FL]

They ended up having the largest attendance ever. Also, more people volunteered to help plan the conference. So I think they will do it again. I don't know if it will be the same weekend or not. It's hard to pick a good date because in the spring, they're competing with the big hs conferences; and they don't want to compete with the ADHD, dyslexia, etc conferences. I live 45 minutes from the conference. If you come, you're welcome to stay here to save the cost of a hotel room.

 

Oh awesome!!!!! That is so great that it went well!

 

And thanks for that offer! I'll keep watching for news and mark the general month down for it. And let me friends know that wanted to go and also couldn't that it looks like it might happen again.

 

Yahoo!!!

[sagira]

I hear Modern Curriculum Press Mathematics is good for kids with LDs. The teacher's manuals are a must, as they have many ways of presenting a lesson and a section on special needs. Well done.

[rockala]

I have found my dc do well with the key to series. It only presents one topic at a time, so you can move thru fractions in one book and then decimals in another and then percents. I think developmental math is similar. so is MUS, but my kids did not connect with him. if there is not emotional connection the day does not go well. :001_smile:

 

This really helps a lot, not so jumpy for them. You may want to supplement some other stuff- or take them thru all of the series.

 

Also Right Brain Multiplication cards from dianne craft help a lot.

 

www.diannecraft.org

 

 

The big thing to remember with these kids-I found out both kids and hubby are dyslexic although he never knew- is color, humor and stories will bring it into long term memory.

 

My dd, 8th grade did drill and flashmaster for years to no avail. The flaschards go right in.

 

She is working thru the Key to Algebra and now we are going to try to add in Life of Fred as it is stories.

 

Kathy

[LizzyBee]

The big thing to remember with these kids-I found out both kids and hubby are dyslexic although he never knew- is color, humor and stories will bring it into long term memory.

 

She is working thru the Key to Algebra and now we are going to try to add in Life of Fred as it is stories.

 

 

My 12 yo loves Life of Fred math. But she is still struggling with Fractions. I think no matter what we use, the bottom line is that she needs the multisensory approach where she can see each concept (for her, seeing is more important than touching). We've talked about using Math U See, but I haven't purchased it yet. I'd love to be the kind of mom who can make manipulatives and such to teach each concept, but that's a little unrealistic for me.