Original by Jo Van Herwegen, Elisabeth Herbert and Laura Outhwaite and provided by The Conversation

Life may be easier for those who have a grasp of maths but many children struggle to master maths skills.  Amongst those are a percentage identified in primary school with dyscalculia, which is a mathematical learning disability.  This is characterised by a difficulty in understanding numbers.

Learners with dyscalculia may struggle to learn foundational mathematical skills and concepts, such as simple counting, adding, subtracting and simple multiplication. They also find it hard to learn times tables.  These early difficulties later escalate into difficulties with more advanced maths procedures, for example, understanding fractions . 

These persistent difficulties aren’t seen to be due to a general below-average ability level, or any other developmental disorder.  Nevertheless, learners with dyscalculia may also experience other learning difficulties, and may be diagnosed with, for example, dyslexia and ADHD. 

They need help  Here are some practical tips to support them. 

Use props

Practical supports, such as fingers, an abacus, counters and even beads to make sets or groups, can be useful when working out even simple sums and math problems. answers to math problems.

Older children may find it helpful to keep reminder notes (crib sheets) handy, which make information such as the times tables or certain formulas easily accessible. Inclusive teaching methods like these are likely to benefit all learners, not just those with dyscalculia.

Break the problem down

Metacognition, or “thinking about thinking” can help maths learning —for example, thinking about the information you do and don’t know, or self awareness about the strategies you have to work out problems. 

Children can be taught strategies to identify where to start on a problem and how to break mathematical problems down. For example, encourage children to use songs and mnemonics to help them remember strategies to solve particular problems. 

For example, the mnemonic DRAW provides learners with a strategy for solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division problems:

D: discover the sign—the learner finds, circles, and says the name of the operator (+,-, x or /).

R: read the problem—the learner reads the equation.

A: answer—the learner draws tallies or circles to find the answer, and checks it over.

W: write the answer—the learner writes out the answer to the problem.

Find out where help is needed

Learners can often get stuck with maths problems and may quickly give up. Teachers and parents should ask such children what they find difficult and then give them precise instructions to support them with what they find difficult. 

Focus on one thing at a time

As mathematical problems can be confusing for learners with maths difficulties, make sure to only work on one problem at a time. This could mean covering other math questions on the page, and removing irrelevant pictures. Provide immediate feedback on both correct and incorrect answers. This will help children learn from their practice and understand the difference between correct and incorrect problem-solving strategies.

It may also help to provide plenty of repetition and revisiting, teach short and frequent sessions, and make sure learners know what they should do if they get stuck, such as ask an adult for help. 

Use the right vocabulary

Mathematical language and symbols can also be confusing. For example, a negative number is shown with a minus sign, but a minus sign can also be used to define an operation such as subtraction. We often use the word “minus” for both—for instance, saying “14 minus minus 9” (14—–9). This can be difficult to interpret. Various different words, such as subtract, minus and take away, can describe the same concept. 

It is important to use clear language (for instance, “14 take away negative 9”). Helping children expand their math vocabulary, as well as checking their understanding, will also be useful. 

Play games

Maths is part of our everyday environment  so what is learned in the classroom also applies to our daily lives. Playing maths games can benefit children.

Counting and collecting sets of items can be done in any place: at the dining table, in the bath, or when out and about. Practice-based educational apps can also help children master foundational math skills.

Be positive

Last but not least, make sure you are promoting positive feelings towards maths.  Even if you struggled yourself, don’t voice your own negativity towards maths. Rather, try to foster an interest in maths that will help children persevere and overcome their difficulties.