Archive for the ‘what is dyscalculia’ tag
What is Dyscalculia? An Indroduction to the Learning Disability
To put it simply, dyscalculia is dyslexia with math (or numbers). If a child is having difficulty with numbers, the chances are high he/she will have difficulty with math. Of course, this goes the other way too. If a child is having difficulty in math, it may mean they are not understanding the concept of numbers. Much research has been done on dyslexia, but dyscalculia has not gotten nearly the amount of attention.
Do you think your child might have dyscalculia? You can take a quick assessment test here.
If a child has dyscalculia and it is not addressed or worked on, the child could have a very hard time growing up, and in life in general. Having problems with numbers could lead to many different outcomes, but none of them will be easy for the child.
A child may feel inadequate, or stupid, and may give up learning all together. Numbers and math are everywhere. Without a basic understanding of them, a domino effect could ultimately destroy the child’s self esteem, which could in turn lead to dead end jobs, and a grim future of not feeling like they fit into society, or living paycheck to paycheck because they can’t get any high paying job.
We love our children and no matter what learning disability or fault they have, as parents we don’t see it. We love them unconditionally. However, unconditional love will not be able to beat a child’s broken self esteem when they feel they are less than a peer.
Children with dyscalculia are absolutely not helpless. There are many ways to overcome it, and practicing anything is certainly the best way to overcome any type of struggle. Be patient with your child, and help them practice. Show them numbers, or practice math equations with them. The biggest thing you as a parent can do to help your child is to show patience and understanding. Do not let them give up, but also do not come down on them too hard when they are slower at understanding.
If you don’t think you have the patience to deal with your child’s dyscalculia, get your child a tutor. It doesn’t make you a bad parent – it just makes you human. Do not let dyscalculia go untreated. It will only get worse, and you’re child doesn’t deserve to feel stupid.
If you’re looking for a way to help your child without spending a lot of money, you may be interested in the Making Math More Fun program. It’s a package (relatively inexpensive) that helps your child overcome dyscalculia. You can download them right to your computer and start helping your child right away.
More Info on Making Math More Fun
Math Software Games Really Help Your Child Practice
There are also math software programs you can have your child do. They’re disguised as games, so they won’t have as much pressure when they’re learning. It helps for kids who get anxiety when they’re doing math. When they don’t realize it’s math, they tend to be able to focus more and intake the information.
A great math games software is the Succeed in Math program. You can get more information on it here :
