teaching methods
The first and most important method of helping students overcome dyscalculia is to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses (National Center for Learning Disabilities [NCLD], 2006). This will provide helpful information for both the teacher and the student and allow them to work together to overcome dyscalculia.
After identifying strengths and weaknesses, here are some teaching methods that may be useful:
After identifying strengths and weaknesses, here are some teaching methods that may be useful:
- Teach the students different ways of doing a concept (NCLD, 2006). There is more than one way to doing a math problem and everyone may not think the most common way is the easiest way. Providing students with other ways to do some problems may make them understand it better.
- Practice estimating as a way to begin a problem (NCLD, 2006). By estimating at the beginning of the problem, students will know what their final answer should be close to. It provides a way to check themselves.
- Begin teaching a new concept with a concrete examples and slowly work towards more abstract examples (NCLD, 2006). If students struggle with grasping abstract ideas, starting with concrete examples and slowly working towards the abstract examples may provide them with the structure that is needed to understand it.
- Use manipulatives to help the understand the concept that is being taught.
- Repeatedly reinforce concepts that the student with dyscalculia has learned so that they remember the concept. Provide many examples so that they are repeatedly seeing how to do the problems.
Photo Citation:
Dyscalculia FAQs. (n.d.). Dyscalculia No More. Retrieved from http://6bwritingportfolios.wikispaces.com/Dyscalculia+FAQs+%28LT8%29.