Did you know that dyslexia forms part of a wider group of conditions that includes Dyscalculia? So what is Dyscalculia, what is it like to have it and how can we help a child with dyscalculia in school?
Whilst dyslexia is probably has the highest incidence rate of all neurological conditions, people with dyslexia will experience elements of the other conditions within their neurodiversity family such as dyscalculia.
So what is Dyscalculia, how is it experienced and what can teachers do to support a child with dyscalculia?
The British Dyslexia Association and SASC came up with this definition:
The Definition of Dyscalculia according to the British Dyslexia Association and SASC.
As mentioned above and in much the same way as dyslexia, dyscalculia is experienced in many different ways but it is useful to know some of how it can affect a child and so the following video from BBC Scotland gives some useful pointers.
So as you saw in the video, there simply no straight answer about what dyscalculia is or how it affects everyone but from a classroom perspective, there are things that teachers can do to support a learner with dyscalculia.
How can teachers support a child with maths difficulties that appear to be on the ‘dyscalculia continuum’?
Caroline Parry from St David’s College, Llandudno, a mainstream independent school that is known for it’s strategies for supporting learners with dyslexia and the other conditions such as dyscalculia said “Helping them (pupils) to improve in these practical skills boosts their confidence and enables access to the whole curriculum, as well as improving their learning in maths.”
St David’s have a range of strategies to support learning that they regularly share with their colleagues across the UK Education System and if you are a teacher, teaching assistant or SENCO then you can download their support pack for dyscalculia and maths difficulties by clicking here or the banner below:
