Dyscalculia
and Maths Learning Difficulties

Dyscalculia is a specific maths learning difficulty (SpLD) in understanding numbers, which presents severe difficulties with numerical magnitude processing. This leads to difficulties with number sense. Number sense is difficult to assess and past research has involved conflicting interpretations, so it is not used in assessing for dyscalculia, but is still important in teaching.

Dice patterns are recognised by most international dyscalculia specialists as being a powerful tool for learners with dyscalculia. The specialists stress the importance of making maths multi sensory; tactile and visual. The links to the fingers are important as this adds a further sensory level and helps make numbers meaningful. Dice patterns encourage subitising which aids in numerical magnitude processing. The pegs and boards can also be used to follow Steve Chinn’s Maths Explained Programme.

‘A highly appropriate product to help develop early numeracy skills and understanding’ (Steve Chinn).

Core difficulties with numerical magnitude processing has many implications on the acquisition of other skills required for mathematics. There are therefore many indicators for dyscalculia.  If a child is not able to link a number to its magnitude, it follows that they will be unable to determine which of two numbers is larger or be able to order numbers reliably. When a child with a poor sense of magnitude is counting, the words that they are saying are very likely have no meaning to the child.  If numbers lack meaning, estimation skills and evaluating an answer to determine if it is correct is not easy for these children.  Other issues with number, such as an over reliance on counting and a weakness in retaining number facts, leads to weak mental arithmetic skills.  Counting backwards reliably is difficult if the forward sequence is merely a string of words that the child has not made sense of. Therefore, subtraction may also be difficult for children with dyscalculia.  Children need to be able to see that numbers are made up of other numbers and use this part-whole relationship to be able to work flexibly with numbers.  With inefficient methods, dyscalculic learners will be slower to perform calculations.  If numbers do not have any meaning, then mathematical procedures are difficult to understand, so are easily forgotten or followed blindly, making it difficult for the child to apply them to new situations.  Inefficient methods place a large strain on working memory and following procedures without understanding requires a strong long term memory.  This overload can lead to avoidance or maths anxiety. So, dyscalculia and underlying difficulties with numerical magnitude processing can present itself in many different forms. 

Click here to find out how Spot On With Numbers can be used as a concrete resource alongside many programmes to support learners with dyscalculia.

OTHER SPECIALIST EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Children with dyslexia may draw on their strengths of creativity and reasoning when using the resources. The representations of the numbers are very hands on and visual and this helps to retain number facts through multi sensory teaching.

We have received reports of children with attention disorders benefiting from engaging physically with making numbers and finding the process of using the pegs and boards therapeutic.

Please note that when using the Spot On With Numbers products, if you notice a child, particularly a boy, struggling with the colours, they may have a colour vision deficiency (sometimes called 'colour blindness'). 8% of males are known to find it difficult to distinguish between certain colours and less than 1% of females. Please contact us if the child you are working with finds it difficult to distinguish between the colours and we'll send you out extra pegs, so that you can form your own set of contrasting colours.