Unlocking Maths Potential: Understanding and Addressing Learning Difficulties

Navigating the world of mathematics can be a challenging journey for some children. It’s a common concern for educators and parents alike to distinguish between typical learning struggles and more persistent difficulties that might indicate a specific learning difference, such as dyscalculia.

A frequent question from teachers revolves around effectively identifying these specific Maths Learning Difficulties. To address this, we will delve into the various external and internal factors influencing a child’s mathematical understanding. Furthermore, we will explore practical tips and assessment strategies to help identify learning differences and provide appropriate support.

Decoding Learning Differences in Maths

External Factors Shaping Maths Understanding

Research indicates that a significant portion of children, up to 25%, experience challenges with maths. These struggles can stem from a variety of external factors. Misunderstandings of fundamental concepts like place value can create roadblocks. Additionally, abstract or procedure-focused teaching methods that lack real-world relevance can make maths seem meaningless and inaccessible to some learners.

For these children, maths may appear as a disconnected set of rules, facts, and procedures, lacking connection to their everyday lives. This can lead to maths anxiety, where a lack of understanding and fear of incorrect answers can eventually discourage them from engaging with maths altogether.

Interestingly, a child’s apprehension towards maths can sometimes originate from parental attitudes. Parents who openly express their own struggles with maths can inadvertently transmit the message that maths is inherently difficult.

Difficulties arising from external factors, such as teaching methodologies, inconsistent school attendance, and environmental influences, are often addressable. Employing creative teaching strategies, effective modelling techniques, and evidence-based approaches like the Singapore Maths methodology can be highly beneficial. These methods are designed to empower all children, including those facing initial hurdles, to reach their full mathematical potential.

Internal Factors Influencing Maths Understanding

Internal factors can also contribute to a child’s difficulties with maths. Dyscalculia, a specific learning difficulty, arises from neurological differences in how the brain processes numerical information. Identifying children with poor number sense is a key step in recognizing potential dyscalculia. These children may struggle to grasp the fundamental concept of numbers and find it challenging to recognize patterns and relationships within the numerical system.

A primary indicator of dyscalculia is often a reduced ability to subitise. Subitising, derived from the Latin word ‘subito’ meaning ‘suddenly’, is our innate capacity to instantly recognize the quantity of items in a small set without consciously counting.

While most individuals can subitise up to six or seven items, a learner with dyscalculia may struggle to subitise even a small group of three items. Assessing subitising skills can provide valuable insights when trying to identify specific learning difficulties in maths.

Consider these examples to understand subitising:

Most people can immediately recognize five dots in this random arrangement.

However, in a more complex arrangement, counting becomes necessary for most.

For someone with dyscalculia, even recognizing just two dots can be challenging without counting.

To informally assess subitising, a teacher or parent can use a simple activity. Place a small number of counters (three or four) of the same color in a random arrangement on a table. Cover them briefly with your hand, and then ask the child to state how many counters there were as soon as you remove your hand. The response should be immediate; any hesitation suggests counting rather than subitising.

If you are a parent concerned about your child’s maths progress or suspect specific learning difficulties, initiating a conversation with their classroom teacher is the crucial first step. Teachers are well-positioned to offer advice and guidance.

A maths mastery approach can be particularly beneficial for learners with specific learning difficulties. Its emphasis on the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach fosters a deep and robust understanding of mathematical concepts.

Strategies for Dyscalculia Assessment

Leveraging Dyscalculia Checklists

Checklists are a readily available and efficient initial step in identifying potential dyscalculia. They are quick to administer and serve as a preliminary indicator of whether a learner might be at risk. However, it’s important to remember that checklists are inherently subjective and provide only an indication, not a definitive diagnosis.

Numerous dyscalculia checklists are accessible, both for purchase and freely online. Some valuable resources include:

Utilizing Dyscalculia Screeners

Following a checklist, dyscalculia screeners offer a more structured assessment. Several screeners are available, each with its specific focus and age range.

Numeracy Screener (Age range: 4–8 years): This free, downloadable test assesses number comparison skills. Children are asked to identify the larger of two numbers or symbols within a set time limit.
- Cost: Free
Dynamo Maths Profiler (Age range: 6–9 years): Developed by Dynamo Maths, this online tool pinpoints specific areas of mathematical difficulty. This online test takes approximately 20–40 minutes.
- Cost: £24.99
The Dyscalculia Screener (Age range: 6–14 years): This screener identifies dyscalculic tendencies in children and provides a report with intervention recommendations. The accompanying Dyscalculia Guidance book offers games and activities for support. The test takes about 30 minutes and can be used individually or for whole classes to differentiate between general maths difficulties and dyscalculia-related challenges. It evaluates number sense by assessing number size understanding and basic calculation abilities.
- Cost of screener: £6.25
- Cost of guidance book: £72.50

Observation and Error Analysis

Informal assessment through observation and error analysis provides valuable insights into a learner’s misconceptions, cognitive processes, and problem-solving strategies. This approach involves observing a learner as they work through maths problems, encouraging them to verbalize their thinking process.

Instead of immediately correcting mistakes, ask the learner to explain their reasoning. Observation and error analysis can help distinguish between difficulties arising from knowledge gaps or common misunderstandings and those potentially linked to dyscalculia.

Informal Assessment Techniques and Resources

Several resources can support in-depth informal assessment of maths difficulties.

Dyscalculia Assessment by Jane Emerson and Patricia Babtie (ISBN: 9781408193716): This book provides step-by-step instructions and printable assessment sheets to aid in creating individualized intervention plans. It includes guidance on conducting assessments, suggested scripts, teaching tips, and strategies, along with result interpretation and engaging games and activities.
More Trouble with Maths by Steve Chinn (ISBN-10: 0415670136): This practical guide covers a wide range of assessment factors related to maths learning difficulties. Steve Chinn’s expertise helps educators consider various elements influencing mathematical learning difficulties, including investigation methods, learning impact, and a range of tests for prerequisite skills (like working memory) and mathematics knowledge.

Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment

A full diagnostic assessment for dyscalculia should be conducted by a specialist assessor or an educational psychologist.

Standardized tests are used to determine if dyscalculia or another factor, such as working memory limitations, is the primary cause of the difficulty. Assessments may include verbal and visual IQ, working memory, and processing speed tests. These quantitative results are interpreted alongside qualitative assessments to build a comprehensive learner profile.

A Note for Parents: If you have concerns about your child’s potential learning difficulty, consulting with their teacher is always the recommended first step for advice and support.