When it comes to dyscalculia in mainstream education, it is about children who have difficulty with arithmetic. There are several ways in which these problems can manifest themselves. It may be that these children come across as very smart and that only when they are graded it is noticeable that the students do not understand the material or it may be that students show it immediately because they do not understand the explanation of the math.
Dyscalculia in mainstream education
Children with dyscalculia also occur in regular education. This concerns children who, for example, have difficulty with arithmetic and turning sums. They may mistake addition sums for miss sums or they may reverse numbers. If they have to make a sum of ten plus ten, they can write down 02. It is important that this is practiced with the children. It is often the case that when you do the sums orally, the children pronounce it correctly but then write it down incorrectly. This is not because they are not concentrated, but this is the dyscalculia they suffer from. It is therefore important that these children receive extra guidance.
Extra guidance for students with dyscalculia
In the classroom, children with dyscalculia may need to be given extra attention. This can be in the form of one-on-one guidance, but children can also be guided in groups. Often there are more children in the class who do not understand maths sums well or can use extra tutoring. Then it is better for the children with dyscalculia that they are not the only ones in the class who receive extra guidance. In this way it is ensured that the children all receive tutoring. It may be that the teacher does this guidance themselves when the other children work independently, but it may also be that the internal supervisor is called in and the children can be taken out of the classroom for extra guidance for maths.
Practice at home with children with dyscalculia
Dyscalculia can also be addressed at home. Parents can also practice extra sums with the children or work with the children so that they do not keep turning over numbers. A lot of practice makes perfect, but it is important that children are aware of the mistakes they make. If the exercise is first done orally and the child then gives the correct answer, then you can also choose to write down the answer together, let the child say it and see if he gives the correct grades. If he says the right one, he can write them down, otherwise ask him again. In this way try to find out together that things are going well. It is important that everyone who is going to give these children extra guidance has patience. It may be that things are going very well today and a lot less tomorrow, but this may have to do with the kind of sums that the students with dyscalculia have to do. Not all children with dyscalculia are the same and that means that it can be quite difficult to give these children extra guidance. It is important to practice a lot, then things will get better!
Role of the parents
It is important that the parents explain to the children what dyscalculia is. The children have the right to know why, for example, they get their calculations back more often than other children or when they receive extra guidance at school for their dyscalculia. The role of the parents in this is to make it clear to the children what is going on and why they then receive extra guidance. It may be that the children do not like it that they are given extra guidance, but there are also children who do like it, so that they receive extra one-on-one attention. As a parent, try to convey it in a positive way, mention what the children are good at and indicate that they only have some difficulty with arithmetic and that they sometimes have to leave the classroom to do extra exercises. In this way, the dyscalculia can be properly dealt with as long as it is talked about.
