Some of the key findings of the study:
– development of a new test – a Mathematical Cognition Battery
– 66% or 2/3 of dyslexic students had math difficulties
– even those dyslexic students who were identified as having “no challenges in mathematics” , had weaker math approximation abilities than the typically developing group
– the battery assessed students on 4 mathematical areas: number processing, arithmetical procedures, arithmetic fact retrieval, and geometrical abilities
– dyslexic students who scored poorly on number processing (13%) , tended to score poorly on other math subtests.
– the most common math difficulties were: math fact retrieval and procedures (each 20%) – students that had both were excluded from the study.
If you are a math teacher or tutor, you may want to read the paper in more detail.
It’s important that the math difficulties be identified among dyslexic students because otherwise students may fail to receive appropriate supports and accommodations with low performances in math being chalked up to “low potential.” The reason this is important to know is that dyslexic students often have high potential in math – especially as they enter higher levels of math where applied thinking and reasoning abilities are necessary.
Because students can be “tracked” according to their performances with calculation, they may be placed in slower paced classes and may never have a chance to catch up or recognize their math talents. Later, if they wish to enter a science, technology, or engineering field, they may have to make up their math- deficient background because of inappropriate tracking.
NUMBER PROCESSING
The researchers characterized weak number processing by low performances understanding the magnitude of numbers, estimating quantities, and understanding number relationships like counting, recognizing numbers, comparing numbers, and ordering them. They recognized that dyslexic students with impaired number processing could have accompanying dyscalculia.
Resources for helping number processing or number sense can be found on Youcubed HERE.
ARITHMETIC PROCEDURES
From the study: “…children with deficits in arithmetical procedures struggle with understanding, applying, and reproducing mental and / or written calculations.
Errors in this group included errors inverting the order of digits or treating 5-3 the same as 3-5, as well as other errors of direction of math operations. Another error that was grouped under procedures was the practice of subtracing a smaller number from larger at the expense of other rules.
MATH FACTS RETRIEVAL
From the study, “Children with deficits in arithmetic facts do not show difficulties in number subtests, and they are able to perform calculations. However, they struggle to recall the results of operations that should have been learned through rote memorization, such as multiplication facts.
The deficit in recalling multiplication tables is coupled with difficulties in writing multi-step multiplications and divisions.: ”
The researchers added that this group of students took the longest of all students on written calculations and a multiplication table test. They also stated that some students with multiplication fact retrieval problems took longer because they were finding correct numbers by repeated addition.
One interesting finding of the study was this group’s strong performance on geometry:
“Children with deficits in arithmetic facts retrieval also had the highest scores on the geometry subtests of the MCB. One potential explanation is that this group may have developed enhanced visuospatial skills…”
This information is interesting because of previously published insider accounts of dyslexic mathematicians who excelled at visual spatial thinking, but recalled struggles with math fact retrieval and procedures (read more here).
GEOMETRY
From the study again, “Children with deficits in geometry…may struggle to process distances and directions, match shapes, match geometrical transformations (e.g. symmetries, rotations), and mentally construct a 3d model from a 2d shape.
So what should a student expect in school?
This paper is only early information into the presence of math difficulties among dyslexic students. The vast majority of dyslexic students don’t have specific math difficulties identified nor do they have math mentioned on their 504 or IEP.
More information about strategies to help with math can be found in our Dyslexia library here (free and Premium resources).
Number sense often requires a great deal of practice with composing and decomposing numbers and use of manipulatives before moving to pencil and paper and math symbols.
Physical materials can also help students with math fact retrieval, procedural, and geometric difficulties; many students need to know why certain procedures are true, instead of memorizing without understanding.
Accommodations for math can be straightforward; students can ask to be able to use a calculator for mathwork, when calculations aren’t the focus of a lesson or test. Many students have accommodations for being able to work ‘open book’ or with a formula card, too. Those accommodations may be necessary to make sure that test results are a true reflection of math knowledge.
