Spot and Support Dyscalculia – Ideas for School and College Staff

Some pupils guess 100 when there are 20 counters on the table, count everything on their fingers, and forget number facts however often they practise. For a child with dyscalculia, a maths lesson can be like sitting in a class taught in a foreign language, where the numbers on the board are just shapes.

You'll be able to tell that missing number sense apart from maths anxiety, and spot signs like trouble counting backwards or no feel for whether an answer is roughly right. A specialist dyscalculia teacher and assessor then gives you practical ways to help. Dice games like Shut the Box help pupils picture numbers, Numicon and rekenreks make maths concrete, and flash cards move facts into long-term memory. Algebra tiles bring the same approach to older students.

You'll also know which screening tools can help you decide whether to ask for a full assessment.