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Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that affects an individual's ability to do math. Early diagnosis can help to avoid poor school performance
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Jan18

Characteristics of the Dyscalculia Programmes

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder characterised by difficulties in understanding and using the number system. There are several programmes for dyscalculia. All these programmes have some fundamental characteristics in common as it relates to working with children with dyscalculia, which we will look at in detail in today’s article.

Characteristics of the programmes for working with dyscalculia
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Characteristics of Dycalculia Programmes

Manipulative-based Teaching

Manipulative-based teaching refers to the use of concrete objects such as blocks, number cards, flash cards, etc., to help children understand mathematical concepts. This technique is considered particularly useful for students with dyscalculia, as the use of manipulative materials helps them to visualise and understand mathematical concepts in a concrete way before moving on to symbolic representation.

Manipulative-based teaching can be used to teach a variety of mathematical concepts such as counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. For example, students can use blocks to visualise addition and subtraction, or number tiles to practise counting.

In addition, by using concrete objects, children can experiment with different solutions and see how they work in concrete situations. This helps them to develop critical thinking and a better understanding of how numbers and mathematical operations work.

In summary, manipulative-based teaching is an effective technique for teaching mathematics to children with dyscalculia, as it helps them to understand concepts in a concrete and visual way, which allows them to have a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.

Teaching Problem-Solving Strategies

This refers to the process of teaching children how to analyse and solve mathematical problems effectively. This includes developing skills to identify and understand problems, look for patterns and relationships, and use strategies to arrive at a solution. This technique is especially useful for improving dyscalculia in students with dyscalculia, as it helps them develop mathematical problem-solving skills and increases their confidence in their mathematical abilities.

Teaching Basic Skills

Dyscalculia programmes need to focus on developing the basic mathematical skills needed to understand more complex mathematical concepts. These programmes usually include:

  • Teaching counting skills: using concrete objects or number cards to practice counting and number recognition.
  • Teaching basic arithmetic skills: using concrete objects, such as number blocks or number cards, to teach addition and subtraction.
  • Review and repetition: reviewing and repeating basic mathematical skills on a regular basis to help students retain the information.
  • Teaching memorization strategies: helping students learn to memorise mathematical formulas and concepts.

The aim is to provide a solid foundation of basic mathematical skills to help children with dyscalculia make progress in learning mathematics and improve their performance in school and in everyday life.

Smartick Mathematics

The Smartick Method is an online tool that has all the features of the dyscalculia programmes mentioned above: manipulation, problem-solving strategies and teaching basic skills such as counting skills, basic arithmetic, review, repetition and memorisation strategies.

Children from 4 to 14 years old can practice maths in daily sessions of 15 minutes that are adapted to the level and pace of each child. You can register and try it for free with your children.

Early Intervention and Ongoing Support

In addition to using programmes to address dyscalculia, early intervention and ongoing support are essential to help students with dyscalculia overcome their mathematical difficulties and reach their full potential. Early intervention allows learning problems to be detected and treated at an early stage, before they develop into more serious problems. In addition, ongoing support allows children to receive the support they need to continue overcoming their challenges as they progress in their education.

We hope this post has helped you to identify programmes to address dyscalculia in children through mathematics. It is important to mention that the support of an educational specialist or neuropsychologist is recommended in order to design an individualised and appropriate intervention plan for each child.

Test to Detect dyscalculia

If you have any concerns about the possibility of your child having dyscalculia, do not hesitate to take this free dyscalculia test. You will receive the results instantly. Early detection and attention helps to reduce difficulties.

Hiwet Costa
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