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Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:38 pm
by Stressed?Moi?
Just wondering if anyone has/knows anything about this condition as there isn't much information available. DD has always struggled with maths and her tutor has suggested that she may have this. Given that practically everything requires a C grade maths, she will be limiting her future significantly unless we crack it. So sad as she spends hours trying to learn, but just doesn't get it. Cheers

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:45 pm
by yoyo123
Stressed?Moi? wrote:Just wondering if anyone has/knows anything about this condition as there isn't much information available. DD has always struggled with maths and her tutor has suggested that she may have this. Given that practically everything requires a C grade maths, she will be limiting her future significantly unless we crack it. So sad as she spends hours trying to learn, but just doesn't get it. Cheers
http://www.aboutdyscalculia.org/symptoms.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


There are tests for this, I haven't done them myself and the children that were tested were found to be lacking in the basic concepts rather than have a diagnosis of dyscalculia . Might be worth speaking to Senco?

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:46 pm
by Guest55
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dys ... culia.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will look for resources which I was pointed to in the past other than these:

http://scotens.org/sen/resources/dyslex ... _maths.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://old.n-somerset.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyr ... lculia.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 5:48 pm
by Stressed?Moi?
Many thanks for this both. I've had a quick lookie but need to digest it properly. I think you are right yoyo, I need to chat with SENCO on her return. All she wants to do is be a teacher when she leaves school, but obviously that would be a non-starter unless a way through this can be found. It's all so worrying. :(

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 5:59 pm
by yoyo123
Maybe find out where the gaps in her knowledge are?

I had a year 5 pupil who just couldn't grasp bonds to ten, after a great deal of blood, sweat and tears (mainly mine) she suddenly twigged, went on to get level 5 in her Sats..sometimes it can be as simple as being away whenn something is introduced and then not wanting to say you don't understand.

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:01 pm
by Stressed?Moi?
I think you are right yoyo,I do put a large part of her problem down to poor teaching. One of her teachers was also a friend of mine and she said she wasn't sure how she scraped through maths herself as she was rubbish :shock: . Cheers then!

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:05 pm
by Guest55
You could try the 'what I can do in maths level ...' (options are level 1 to level 5) booklets as a starting point.

Once you know the gaps try:

http://12262.stem.org.uk/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:02 pm
by MedievalBabe
I have been working with a girl with dyscalculia for the last 2 years and I found that if she didn't grasp a concept then sometimes she needed to be taken an alternative route to the answer, sometimes this meant breaking it down into simpler steps than the rest of the class, using mathematical equipment eg. Place value cards, counters or coins. By taking it back a step she would eventually grasp the concept and be able to finish the work the rest have done. By doing this she did much better than expected in her SATs this year with a level 5, instead of 4.

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:08 pm
by yoyo123
Exactly, I love that bit of my job,finding an alternative way in...

Re: Discalculia

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 11:11 am
by Sunshine 11
Stressed?Moi as you have probably followed from my blogs, DD has dyslexia and dyspraxic tendencies. It is often the dyspraxia which means she struggles with mathematical concepts. Dyscalculia really would mean severe problems with maths. My DD has not be diagnosed with this even though in Y2 she struggled with counting 1:1 so say 10 beans she would loose count, but that was her dyspraxia. To speed things up, you could visit the doc as it is really only a doctor who can diagnose dyspraxia, also, if you do suspect dyscalculia, once referred they will no doubt explore this.

For the dyspraxia, a simple test, draw a star with 2 triangles and get your DD to copy it, there are probably quite a few little test on the net. My DD has it very mildly and if your DD has it mildly too, it may be why it hasn't been picked up before. For my DD it means she has to be shown a mathematical concept say twice rather than once, and she gets confused if shown a number of methods, she needs one methods she can do and understand. For such children the 1:1 tuition is essential.

Don't worry about the future, such children are often quite gifted. DDs dyslexia tutor had a student with severe dyspraxia, who now has a degree in physics ! So it's just enabling such children to reach their enormous potential.

Good luck !