MATHEMATICS
Some children, particularly
dyscalculic children,
or children with intellectual development disorder,
are confronted with specific difficulties when it comes to mathematics.
SCHOOL CHALLENGES
Understanding numbers
- Understanding the concept of numbers, comparing and ordering them.
- Difficulty recognizing numerical values.
- Understanding relationships between numbers.
Maths operations
- Difficulties in learning and performing basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
- Problems memorizing mathematical facts and understanding procedures.
Coordinating movements
Difficulty in understanding the information given, identifying the necessary operations and organizing the steps to arrive at a solution.
Spatial and geometrical concepts
Understanding of spatial and geometric concepts such as measurement, shape geometry and spatial visualization.
SCHOOL STRATEGIES
Practical handling
Manipulable materials such as cubes, marbles, number cards, abacuses, Cuisenaire rulers, etc. help children visualize and understand mathematical concepts.
Calculators
Using calculators for complex calculations or to check answers can reduce these children's cognitive load and enable them to concentrate on understanding concepts rather than on calculations.
Templates and patterns
Templates or models help students understand relationships and number patterns. For example, with multiplication or division models, they can visualize the operations involved.
Games and fun activities
Integrating mathematical games and play activities into teaching makes math more engaging and stimulating for dyscalculic children.
They develop their mathematical skills while having fun.
Some practical
handling resources
These colorful cubes fit together to represent quantities and mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and patterns.
These rulers of different lengths and colors help visualize the relationships between numbers, fractions and mathematical operations.
These manipulable geometric shapes are used to explore and construct geometric figures, understand the basic concepts of geometry and the properties of shapes.
A scale helps students understand the concepts of weight and balance, and solve equations visually by manipulating weights on the pans.
A clock specially designed for learning to tell the time. It can be manipulated and allows children to move the hands to visualize and understand notions of time.
A board with a grid of holes over which rubber bands can be stretched to create geometric shapes and explore the concepts of perimeter, area, symmetry and coordinates.
Some resources for games
and fun activities
A puzzle game where players must move vehicles in a traffic jam using logical and spatial skills to solve problems.
A deduction game where players guess a secret color combination using clues to refine their guesses.
A dice game where players roll dice to create mathematical equations and score points using arithmetic operations.
A logic and problem-solving game that involves filling in a grid with numbers while respecting certain rules.
A mathematical version of Boggle, where players have to form mathematical equations from given numbers and operations.
A board game that combines thinking, mental arithmetic and strategy. Players must use numbers and operations to reach a given numerical goal.