Seminar 5

Teaching maths to dyslexic children and adults

Anne ReesCentre Principal, Dyslexia Action Cymru

arees@dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Does maths matter?

maths skills equivalent to GCSE

other adults

new jobs requiring maths skills

What makes maths difficult?Scalene, isosceles, perpendicular, equilateral, pi, obtuse, cosine, sine, tangent, numerator, denominator….

Typical dyslexic difficulties

• Language• Memory weaknesses – LTM, STM, WM• Processing speed• Left-right orientation• Sequencing difficulties• Visual & spatial awareness• Literacy skills

Attention, ConcentrationPlanning and

regulating

Spatial awareness, Motor skills

and co-ordination

Interpretation in contextSocial significance

Words, sounds, Memory

and sequencing

Dyspraxia

Attention Deficit Disorder

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Dyslexia

Maths anxiety

Contrasts in maths learning

Maths learning style

We need to help learners use numbers flexibly and to think

about mathematical concepts.They need to ‘play’ with numbers

and develop ‘number sense’

Concrete materials

Unifix cubes

Cuisenaire rodsStern materials

Numicon

Base 10/Dienes Blocks

Slavonic abacus http://www.autopresseducation.co.uk

Counting

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

3 6 9 12 1525 30 35 4018 16 14 12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Avoid the ‘counting trap’

Subitising

Use number patterns visual images of numbers

Estimating

Place value

8 + 7 =

Number bonds & components

Key facts1 + 1 = 22 + 2 = 43 + 3 = 64 + 4 = 85 + 5 = 101 + 2 = 32 + 3 = 53 + 4 = 74 + 5 = 9

8

4 + 4

2 + 6

1 + 7

7 + 1

6 + 2 3 + 5

5 + 3

Addition

Count all Count on

Known facts Derived facts

Subtraction

Count all

Count

back

Count up

Use know

n facts

Multiplication tables

Time

Adult maths learners

Activities

Assessment

• Emerson & Babtie, 2010,The Dyscalculia Assessment, London: Continuum

• Chinn, 2012, More Trouble with Maths, Abingdon: Routledge

• DIMP• WRAT 4, WIAT III• Hodder Tests & GL Assessment have variety of maths

tests

Apps

• Calculators e.g. Soulver, digits, talking calculators

• Numberbonds• I say you say

(number bonds)• Hungry fish• Zoom

• Count on it (Slavonic abacus)

• Math bingo• Wings• King of math• Telling time• Fishy numbers