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Math

Find out why people have trouble with math. Learn about dyscalculia and math learning disabilities. Get math teaching strategies and tips for math homework.

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    Tips and strategies

    • 5 tips to help grade-schoolers with dyscalculia learn multiplication

    • Quick tip
      Mark up the problem.

      Ask kids to read through the problem once. Then, have them read it again, circling the important words and phrases. This can help kids stay focused and avoid rushing.

    • Quick tip
      Say number sentences out loud.

      Ask kids to use their own words to say or write a number sentence like 1 + 5 < 7. If they struggle to translate “<” into words, talk about the concept of “is less than” and the symbol that represents it.

    • Quick tip
      Take notes on the process.

      Work through the first problem together and make notes on each step. This reminds kids that math is a process. They can use these notes to show teachers their efforts and get feedback on how they solved the problem.

    • 5 self-advocacy sentence starters for middle-schoolers with dyscalculia

    • Quick tip
      Ask how they approached the problem.

      Have kids talk through how they tried to solve the problem, and where they got stuck. If you’re comfortable, try doing a problem together — and share your thinking out loud as you do it.

    Podcast

    In It

    Math anxiety, dyscalculia, and other reasons math can be hard for kids

    Why is math so hard for some kids? And what can we do about it? Find out from a special education and math teacher.

    Downloads

    • The Frayer modelPDF

    • Step-by-stepPDF

    • Line it upPDF

    • Graph it outPDF

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