Demystifying Math Struggles

[hsmom]

I've been exploring the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity website and found a series of pages regarding helping dyslexic students who are struggling with math and identifying strategies that work.

dyslexia.yale.edu/math.html

dyslexia.yale.edu/Edu_mathbreakdown.html

dyslexia.yale.edu/Edu_mathnamingproblems.html

dyslexia.yale.edu/Edu_memorychallenges.html

dyslexia.yale.edu/Edu_countingcomparing.html

I haven't had the time to read through them, but thought I'd put them here for others who may be interested.

[SharonF]

Thanks, hsmom!!

While my definition of dyslexia is different than most, I find that my definition is very much in line with that expressed over the years by the dyslexia experts at Yale.

"Dyslexia" runs in my husband's family. Yet it's not b/d reversal. Not trouble with sound/symbol association.

Their real problem is with language processing. With sequencing. With converting thoughts into words...and converting others' words into meaning. With talking oneself through a sequence of steps.

Most people don't think of those types of difficulties as being a type of dyslexia. But they definitely are for my son. As a result, he had trouble with math, literary analysis, written expression and even following directions.

So this sentence from the Yale info really hit home for me:

>>Woodin has found that using activities that involve visualizing, walking, and *talking out problems* are effective in developing vocabulary, organizational skills, and oral and written output. <<

YES!!!

The worst kind of "teaching" for my son is when a teacher explains orally how to do something step by step. Even if they show the steps on the whiteboard.

The best kind of teaching is where my son is actively engaged. When he has to really think through what he's doing, explain it out loud as he goes, and internalize the sequence or process required. In other words, "visualizing, walking, and talking out problems".

Teachers often don't have time for that type of individualized, interactive instruction. But lecture/regurgitate does not work for him.

[eoffg]

Thanks for the links, where Woodin is really highlighting Math struggles as a result of a difficulty with the 'Language of Math'?
As opposed to a difficulty with 'Subitising', and a difficulty with concieving of numbers. As defined as Dyscalculia.

But this brings into question the singular definition of Dyscalculia?
Which also brings into question my Dyscalculia Forum, where their is no reference or even mention of 'Language of Math' difficulties !
Which suggests that their is only one type of math difficulty?
A common example of a difficulty with the language of math, is a problem with the word 'Equal'?
Where understanding Equal might seem obvious?
But Equal is a word that is used to represent the concept of Equivalence.
Though if the concept of Equivalence is first understood, then the word Equal is meaningless?
Yet the words 'Is' and 'Are' are often used instead of Equal.
Six plus three is nine.
Six seven's are forty two.
But when the use of 'Equal, Is, Are' are used without being founded on understanding of the concept of Equivalence?
They are meaningless terms? Without any logic?

If you look at the video examples on the Yale Center, you will see that the children involved have no difficulty with subitising and recognising individual quantities. What the exercises help them to develop, was rather the concept of 'equivalence'.

[hsmom]

You're welcome SharonF.

Your son and my son definitely have similar learning difficulties.

My son also has problems with math, literary analysis, and following directions (although one outcome of Cogmed training has been that he is better at remembering instructions and details of conversations). Written expression (putting thoughts on paper) has been his strength, but he hated to proofread and revise and getting him to do any corrections of his writing used to be very difficult. He would write an entire page without any punctuation! He now uses checklists of questions to ask when revising his writing and his teacher has remarked that he is beginning to internalize the steps by using self-talk strategies.

Literally walking the earth's timeline by taking steps equaling 10 million years on the school's driveway and pausing to identify biological and geological landmarks was how he learned Earth Science this fall.

Problems with math still remain and thus, my interest in what Woodin has to say.