Table of contents:
- What is dyscalculia?
- Signs may be that you or your child has dyscalculia
- Signs of dyscalculia in kindergarten or early childhood education
- Signs of dyscalculia in elementary school
- Signs of dyscalculia in high school
- Signs of dyscalculia in high school
- How to help children who have difficulty understanding math
Not a few people are very hostile to mathematics when they are still in school. Learning calculation formulas is not as easy as memorizing the alphabet. However, if you or your child has a very hard time calculating or learning math, this may be a sign of dyscalculia. Find out more about dyscalculia and how to treat it here.
What is dyscalculia?
Reporting from the Understood.org page, dyscalculia is a type of learning disorder similar to dyslexia, but is related to numbers rather than words.
Dyscalculia is defined as the difficulty in acquiring basic arithmetic skills, such as counting and understanding numbers.
They tend to find it difficult to solve basic math problems, and anything else that has to do with calculations or numbers. It is also possible that they actually understand the logic behind mathematics, but not how or when to apply what they know to solving math problems.
Often children, or even adults, who have dyscalculia also find it difficult to understand quantity concepts or concepts such as "bigger" and "smaller". They may not understand that the number 5 means the word "five". Children with dyscalculia also have difficulty remembering math facts, and have difficulty understanding numbers and other symbols in mathematics.
Dyscalculia can have an impact on education and employment. Often people who have dyscalculia experience financial difficulties and even find it difficult to get a job.
However, all these difficulties are not caused by a lack of intelligence (intelligence) or a person's low level of education.
Signs may be that you or your child has dyscalculia
Dyscalculia can be owned by anyone, regardless of gender, age, education level, social status, and life experience. It is estimated that about 5% of children in primary schools worldwide are affected by this disorder.
Often dyscalculia is associated with cognitive dysfunction (eg, decreased working memory and visuospatial skills), dyslexia, or attention deficit disorder (ADHD).
Dyscalculia makes it difficult for a person to understand mathematical concepts or to count. So, the symptoms can vary from one person to another.
The most obvious differences are often seen across age levels. The earliest signs can appear as early as PAUD age, but the symptoms of dyscalculia tend to become more pronounced with age.
For more details, find out the following signs of dyscalculia.
Signs of dyscalculia in kindergarten or early childhood education
- Difficulty counting if the numbers are long, while other kids his age are able to do it
- Difficulty understanding patterns such as smallest to largest, or highest to smallest
- Difficulty understanding symbols, like "7" it means seven
- Not understanding the meaning of counting, for example when you ask for 5 candies, your child will scoop all the candies from the can and give them to you, instead of counting them one by one from 1 to 5.
Signs of dyscalculia in elementary school
- Difficulty understanding basic math such as, 2 + 6 = 8
- Difficulty understanding the differences +, -, and other symbols.
- Still count on your fingers rather than count by rote
- Difficulty understanding general concepts related to mathematics such as, "Budi is taller than Andi".
Signs of dyscalculia in high school
- Difficulty understanding value
- Difficulty writing numbers clearly or writing them in the correct column or row
- Has problems with fractions and with measuring things, like ingredients in simple recipes
- It is difficult to maintain scores in sports games
Signs of dyscalculia in high school
- It is difficult to apply mathematics in everyday life. For example, giving tips, estimating total expenses, and so on
- Difficult to understand the information on the graph
- It's hard to measure ingredients like in a recipe
- It is difficult to take different approaches to the same math problem
How to help children who have difficulty understanding math
Handling a child or adult with dyscalculia is not easy. The following are some recommendations from experts that are helpful in helping a dyscalculia understand maths:
- Create a specially designed study plan
- Make it up games or math-based learning games
- Practicing math skills much more often than other students
Other ways that can be applied to help someone with dyscalculia, as quoted from the WebMD page:
- Let your child count by hand or scribble on paper
- Use paper or a lined book. This helps to keep columns and numbers on the correct lines.
- Use music when studying math
- Find a math tutor who can help
- Draw a math problem
- Play math games
- Appreciate your child's hard work
- Teach your child to deal with math anxiety
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