Is There a Curriculum for Dyscalculia?
This is a common question, frequently posted in online dyscalculia groups. Usually, the request is from a parent of a dyscalculic child, or a special education teacher. Sometimes an adult is asking for curriculum that they could use, now that they know about their own dyscalculia.
When we first discovered our daughter’s dyscalculia, I was asking that same question. Especially when she qualified to receive help from our school’s special education department, but they were unsure how to teach a student with dyscalculia. I began searching all over the internet and library for the program or curriculum we needed.
I was not successful in finding a comprehensive curriculum specific for dyscalculia. However, I did find teaching methods, strategies, and learning tools that dyscalculia experts have found to be successful with dyscalculic learners. These ways of teaching have helped bridge a gap that most dyscalculics face when in traditional math programs.
These were the methods that were so successful in our own daughter’s developing a necessary numeracy building blocks.
These dyscalculia specialists have organized these recommended teaching methods into books, e-books, articles, and videos for parents and teachers to use. Some materials include an outline of the overall content that should be covered over time. One learning center in the UK has organized and implemented the dyscalculic-specific methods into an educational plan for their students. For more information on these successful teaching methods and best practices, look into the pioneering work of Dorian Yeo, Brian Butterworth, Jane Emerson, Patricia Babtie, Ronit Bird, Steve Chinn.
I am hopeful that their methods, knowledge, and experience are laying a foundation for a successful, comprehensive dyscalculia curriculum for the future. In the meantime, there is a great deal of groundwork that is yet to be done, such as: raising awareness and recognition of dyscalculia, earlier detection and diagnosis, formal education for teachers, continued research, and even a change in our mindset as a culture. I’ll be speaking to some of these critical mindset shifts in future posts.
Update Winter 2024: Join me in one of my Coaching Packages to explore the effective education methods and strategies that support dyscalculic students, and how to implement them with your student!
