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 […]
Creative Math Educator: Our Story of Dyslexia and Math
Paula Beardell-Krieg is an innovative math educator and paper artist who brings all types of math wonder and discovery in her work as a math educator. As an example, check out her flexagon below. I recently had the chance to talk with her about her experiences...
Getting a Sense for Numbers [Premium]
For many, math is a somewhat mysterious subject. From an early age, some students may stand out from others in their mathematical ability whereas others don’t and some may seem to have bewildering difficulty with even basic aspects of numbers and math quantity. The last decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of individual […]
Dyslexic Mathematicians: Paradoxes and Insights [Premium]
“The life narratives of these research mathematicians describe a non-direct pathway to becoming a research mathematician. They describe barriers that could have limited their process, such as calculus focused on memorization, or classes such as organic chemistry focused on memorization. All participants noted that they moved forward in mathematics once they reached a place in […]
Dyslexia and Dyscalculia
How often do individuals with dyslexia also have dyscalculia, a specific disability in math? As many as 60% of of dyslexic students may also be dyscalculic, but math difficulties are rarely tested for in schools, so specific needs for a particular student are rarely...
Storytelling in Math for Dyslexia [Premium]
In our book, The Dyslexic Advantage, storytelling is a strength that we discovered after all our in-depth interviews and study of dyslexic people. Cultivation of this super power might seem obvious for creative writing or entrepreneurship or other aspect of workplace role, but it should also be used and developed in subjects like math. […]