Our Story Exploring Math for Dyscalculia

<p>I am deviating from my usual monthly newsletter format to share more of our family’s story with you.</p><p>Most of the early days of our dyscalculia journey I detailed in my&nbsp;<a href="https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/book" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: var(--print_on_web_bg_color, var(--color-fg-primary));">book</a>. But I wrote that five years ago, and so much has happened in that time.&nbsp;</p><p>I have shared this part of my story with some of you in consultations and speaking engagements, but I wanted to share it with this community here in Substack.</p><p><strong>This is the story of how my daughter and I explored math together at home, navigated middle school and high school math, and where we find ourselves now in this adventure.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Teaching my dyscalculic daughter math at home was not something I thought possible, especially through the middle school years. This was a decision I made out of desperation, not a dream or desire.</p><p>This is the story of how I ended up teaching math, and the surprising success we experienced.</p><h4><br></h4><h4>Special Education Begins | 4th and 5th Grade</h4><p><br></p><p>In fourth grade, after receiving a math learning disability diagnosis, I figured the school would know how to teach a student with this challenge.</p><p>The school established an IEP (individual education program) for my daughter. I remember filling out form after form, completely unsure about the confusing language on types of supports, learning objectives, and accommodations. I simply assumed the school knew what my daughter needed to succeed in math.</p><p>My daughter began receiving pull-out help from the special education teacher, a couple of times a week in a small group. She also received accommodations in the classroom like a multiplication chart, and access to a teacher aid for questions. I was hopeful these supports would be enough for my daughter’s math struggles.</p><p>Yet, as the weeks went on, I slowly came to realize that the school didn’t know how to help students with a math learning disability. There was no specific program or curriculum in place to help students with dyscalculia, no understanding of it, and no teacher training. Even the special education teacher had not received any university training for this learning disability.</p><p>It was devastating to realize that no one at the school had any idea how to teach this bright kid with a math learning disability.</p><p>I spent hours searching online for curriculum and programs, comparing my findings with the special education teacher. We both couldn’t find clear answers on how to teach math for dyscalculia. We found only a hodge-podge of books, with no clear way forward. I was discouraged, realizing that support for my daughter’s math education, was only just beginning.</p><p>That fourth grade year, and all through fifth grade, I witnessed my daughter struggle her way through special education math, making no progress in her math understanding. She became more discouraged and anxious. Now, even with “help,” she still didn’t have any grasp of basic math concepts.</p><h4><br></h4><h4>New School and New IEP | 6th Grade</h4><p><br></p><p>The following year we tried a new school, in a new district, with the promise of a separate math class and help five days a week. But one month into her 6th grade year, the hope of learning math in this new setting was shattered. My daughter was once again stressed, anxious, dreading math class, and spending hours after school slogging through math homework.</p><p>The special education teacher was not open to collaborating or trying any of the new methods I was finding in my research on dyscalculia. It was clear she didn’t know how to help either.</p><p>At this point I knew we needed to do something drastically different. I didn’t feel equipped or prepared to take on my daughter’s math learning. But I did not want to waste another year without any math progre