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sInformation Adapted from Understood.org
Signs of dyscalculia aren’t always easy to spot. All students have trouble with maths from time to time. However, students with dyscalculia struggle a lot more than other students the same age.
Dyscalculia isn’t the same as maths anxiety. However, students with dyscalculia often have strong emotions around maths. They might get upset or frustrated when playing board games, for example.
Click on the button below if you would like to learn more about maths anxiety.
Indicators of Dyscalculia have been separated into age groups. Click on each section below to get more information about a specific age group.
Click on the document below to download indicators for all ages.
Indicators of Dyscalculia - All Ages.pdfSigns of dyscalculia in early years
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of dyscalculia in early years
Has trouble learning to count and skips over numbers long after students the same age can remember numbers in the right order
Doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of counting — for example, when you ask for five blocks, your student just hands you a large group of blocks, rather than counting them out
Struggles to recognize patterns, like smallest to largest or tallest to shortest
Has trouble understanding number symbols, like making the connection between “7” and the word seven
Struggles to connect a number to an object, like knowing that “3” applies to groups of things like three cookies, three cars, or three kids
Signs of dyscalculia in primary
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of dyscalculia in primary years
Has trouble learning and recalling basic maths facts, like 2 + 4 = 6
Still uses fingers to count instead of using more advanced strategies (like mental math)
Struggles to identify maths signs like + and ‒ and to use them the right way
Has a tough time understanding maths phrases, like greater than and less than
Has trouble with place value, often putting numbers in the wrong column
Struggles with maths concepts like commutativity (3 + 5 is the same as 5 + 3) and inversion (being able to solve 3 + 26 ‒ 26 without calculating)
Has a tough time understanding maths language and coming up with a plan to solve a maths problem
Has trouble keeping score in sports games and gym activities
Has a hard time figuring out the total cost of things and keeping track of money (like on a lunch account)
Avoids situations that require understanding numbers, like games that involve math
Signs of dyscalculia in high school years
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of dyscalculia in highschool years
Struggles to read charts and graphs
Has trouble applying maths concepts to money, like making exact change and figuring out a tip
Has trouble measuring things like ingredients in a recipe or liquids in a bottle
Lacks confidence in activities that require understanding speed, distance, and directions, and may get lost easily
Has trouble finding different approaches to the same maths problem, like adding the length and width of a rectangle and doubling the answer to solve for the perimeter (rather than adding all the sides)
If you have concerns about your student potentially having dyscalculia, you can use the checklist below as an initial assessment of need. Click on the top right corner to download a PDF copy.
Dyscalculia Checklist Steve Chinn 2019.pdfClick below for further information:
Dyscalculia: Further Learning
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