Math is a challenge for almost every student as the world recovers from disruptions due to the pandemic. Although almost all community colleges waive some math requirements, only a few colleges completely waive them. One list I found was here, but do check individual...
Math Games for All [Premium]
Math games are a great way to build a hands-on sense for number flexibility and quantity. The best situation is if hands-on and visual math activities are started from the beginning, but the good news is that it’s never too late to start. Even students who are taught almost exclusively in rote/symbolic ways can benefit […]
Dyslexia and Math: Knowing Why [Premium]
It’s been estimated that almost half of dyslexic individuals will also be dyscalculic (Wilson et al., 2014), but dyscalculia is less likely to be assessed or formally identified in school, leaving students to flounder on their own. WHY IS DYSLEXIA COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH MATH LD? Experts still debate why there is such significant overlap, […]
The Language of Math [Premium]
“The meanings of words in general usage are often very different from their mathematical meanings.” — Marilyn Burns Educational leaders are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of teaching the language of math in order to raise understanding and performance. There can be extensive reading and writing demands associated with math learning and dyslexic students […]
Managing Too Much Information in Math with Card Sorts and Categories [Premium]
Too often math classes start off with a lot of math problem-solving that can result in students in getting lost. Sometimes the problem is that math explanations overload working memory; other times, students struggle because they can’t listen for understanding at the same time they are trying to take notes, leaving them to figure out […]
How to Not Go Crazy from Fractions and Decimals [Premium]
Fractions and decimals can drive a lot of us crazy. After learning “big” or “long numbers” are larger, suddenly fractions and decimals come along to flip these assumptions upside-down. For dyslexic students, care must be taken at the first step of understanding the equivalences among the different representations of fractions and decimals before moving onto […]
Mind Mapping Math
Fractions can be confusing. Some students are confused by the new terminology that comes with fractions (numerator, denominator), while others are confused because they seem to have different principles from those learned from whole numbers. Numbers that "get bigger"...
Working through Higher Math [Premium]
“An algebra equation should have a physical meaning to it, and have good real world examples…” — Gary McGregor, PhD Gary McGregor has a lot to say when it comes to math because he survived dropping out of high school, knowing only the basics of math calculation (adding and subtracting, but not fractions) […]
Math Strategies Instead of Drill [Premium]
In the many years Brock and I spent testing and listening to dyslexic students at every level of education, we often heard first hand accounts of how they learned how to tackle difficult subjects and bypass school-related challenges. As research studies bear out (for instance, see Kirby’s study of dyslexic university students), many dyslexic students […]
Math Distance Learning for Students with Dyslexia
Here are several desirable features for remote math programs for dyslexic students: - Comprehensive (math builds on prior knowledge; programs must be comprehensive) - Spiralling (reviews and deepens knowledge of concepts over time; more info here) - Video and...
Higher Math for Scientists: Don’t Give Up [Premium]
“…To be a successful scientist, you need to do what you like to do. If you don’t like mathematics, don’t give up. That doesn’t forestall you’re being a scientist at all.” — E.O. Wilson One of the first science professors I had as a freshman at Harvard was E.O. Wilson, a pioneer of Evolutionary […]
MATH: Learning Through Examples, Not Repetition and Drill [Premium]
“… children with dyslexia, because of disruption to left hemisphere language area, use a less optimal route for retrieval-base arithmetic, engaging right hemisphere parietal regions typically used by good readers for procedural-based arithmetic.” — Evans et al, 2014 TEACH MATH TO DYSLEXIC STUDENTS THROUGH STRENGTHS It was a research group at Georgetown University that […]