You may be familiar with the learning disability called ‘Dyslexia’, but you may not have heard the disability called ‘Dyscalculia’. Parents and teachers sometimes refer it to “number or math dyslexia”. According to the Wikipedia, Dyscalculia is a disability resulting from a difficulty of learning or performing arithmetic. Children with Dyscalculia have challenges in acquiring mathematical skills such as performing arithmetic operations (addition, subtractions, multiplication, and division) from an early age.
According to experts ( i.e. Dr. Ladislav Kosc) it is important to know the various types of Dyscalculia. For example, an individual with Verbal Dyscalculia can copy and write numbers when numbers are written, but these individuals may have problems understanding when instructed verbally. On the other hand, a person with Lexical Dyscalculia has an opposite challenge to Verbal Dyscalculia, the person can follow verbal instructions but has difficulty in writing or copying numbers or signs when presented visually.
A person with Ideognostical Dyscalculia can understand numbers while listening, but they may have difficulty of retaining it and may not be able to repeat the same mathematical exercises in their next session. Additional information about types of Dyscalculia can be found here.
This difficulty with numbers can stay with a person throughout their life so it is important to identify these disabilities early. Educators and learning specialists recommend that you include teaching plans specially designed for children with dyscalculia. Math games and practicing math skills daily can help persons with dyscalculia. It is important that you provide them with accommodations, especially when they take tests or need to work on assignments. A few examples of accommodations are use of calculators, talking calculators, text-to-speech apps, graph paper vs a plain notebook while providing extra time to complete each task.
If you would like to know more about Dyscalculia or try to find activities for your children, you may find the following websites (i.e. math games and resources) useful. Some require subscriptions, but most sites offer free or provide sample math games or lessons. Unfortunately some websites may not fully accessible so you may need additional assistive technology tools (i.e. low vision).
BEST TOOLS: https://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools
Dyscalculia Games: https://www.dyscalculiagames.com/
IXL Learning: https://www.ixl.com/
For example, if you forget sign (- minus or negative sign), the game will prompt you what is wrong with your answer.