When talking about learning difficulties many people assume that we are referring to a reading difficulty. We often hear the saying, “A learning problem is a reading problem.” This, of course, is not true. Among students classified as learning disabled, arithmetic difficulties are as prevalent as reading problems. In the Journal of Learning Disabilities, McLeod and Crump state that approximately one-half of students with learning disabilities require supplemental work in mathematics.
In today’s world, mathematical knowledge, reasoning and skills are also no less important than the ability to read. Whether in science, business, or daily living, we cannot escape the use of numbers. Every job, from the rocket scientist to the sheep herder, requires maths! No matter the country you live in or the language you speak, maths is an unavoidable and required knowledge.
So how do we help a child with maths learning difficulties? Since successful intervention depends on finding the cause or causes of a problem, finding the cause(s) is our starting point. Thus, we must ask, “What causes maths problems?”
Mathematics consists of three aspects
1.) Foundational skills
Research has shown that focused, sustained and divided attention; visual perception; sequential and working memory; and logical thinking (which makes problem-solving possible) are the most important foundational skills of maths.
Visual perception refers to the process of interpreting and organising visual information. Visual perceptual skill is often subdivided into areas such as visual discrimination and visual memory. Visual discrimination involves the ability to attend to and identify a figure’s distinguishing features and details, such as shape, orientation, colour and size. Visual memory refers to the ability to remember a visual image.
One hundred and seventy-one children with a mean age of 10.08 years participated in a study by Marjean Kulp et al. This study, conducted at the Ohio State University College of Optometry, was designed to determine whether or not performance on visual perception tests could predict the children with poor current achievement in mathematics.
Controls for age and verbal cognitive ability were included in all regression analyses because the failure to control for verbal ability has been a criticism of some literature investigating the relation between visual and academic skills.
Kulp et al. concluded, “Poor visual perceptual ability is significantly related to poor achievement in mathematics, even when controlling for verbal cognitive ability. Therefore, visual perceptual ability, and particularly visual memory, should be considered to be amongst the skills that are significantly related to mathematics achievement.”
2.) Mathematical skills
There are many things in mathematics that the learner must learn to do, such as counting, adding and subtracting, and multiplication and division.
The first step is to ensure that a child can count fluently, forwards and backwards. Thereafter, skip counting should be introduced. Skip counting is essential in developing fluency in calculation and number sense, and is the basis of multiplication and division. It is also important to help students move from calculating by counting by ones to using number facts. For example, instead of working out 12 + 4 by counting 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, students can immediately add 4 or possibly add 2 twice. This transition to using fluent number facts is a key to success throughout school.
3.) Knowledge
There is much in maths that one simply has to know and therefore has to learn, for example, many terms, definitions, symbols, theorems and axioms. These are all things that the learner must know, not things that he must know how to do.
A child who does not know what a sphere is will have to guess when confronted by twelve objects and the question, “Which of the above objects have the same shape as a sphere?”
Learning is a step-by-step process
It should also be noted that learning is a step-by-step process. Certain skills must be mastered first, before it becomes possible to master subsequent skills.
To be a rugby player, a person must first master the foundational skills, e.g., passing, kicking and tackling. In the same way, to do maths, a child first has to learn the foundational skills of maths, like visual perception and logical thinking.
The second step would be to master mathematical skills, which must be done in a sequential fashion. One has to learn to count before it becomes possible to learn to add and subtract. Suppose one tried to teach a child who had not yet learned to count to add and subtract. This would be quite impossible, and no amount of effort would ever succeed in teaching the child these skills. The child must learn to count first, before it becomes possible for him to learn to add and subtract.
The third step would be to ensure that the learner catches up in the knowledge aspect of maths.
Mathblox classes
Mathblox classes, offered at Edublox clinics, are aimed at Grade 2 to 7 learners and set the foundation for grasping mathematics. We achieve this by teaching your child:
* An in-depth understanding of the terminology used in maths.
* Foundational maths skills include focused, sustained, and divided attention; visual perception; sequential and working memory; and logical thinking (making problem-solving possible).
* Application in the form of curriculum-based exercises — mental arithmetic, reading time, word sums, et cetera.
Classes are offered in English and Afrikaans. Contact us.
A testimonial
Gina Hartoog shares how Mathblox helped her son thrive in maths:
During the third and fourth terms of Grade 2, my son did very poorly in maths. His confidence took a knock and he became very emotional and anxious when it came to written tests. We decided to put him in Edublox and Mathblox classes for Grade 3.
“Within six weeks, I noticed a huge difference in him. His confidence grew amazingly and the tears stopped! He was quite simply – a different child! In his first written Maths test for Grade 3 he got 77% – the second highest in his class.
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Goeie dag my dogter in graad 4 sukkel vreeslik met wiskunde sy het laasjaar heeljaar remidiering gedoen wat n bietjie gehelp het – kan julle asb vir my meer inligting gee rakende klasse en die koste daaraan verbonde. Ek het ook iewers gelees van aanlyn klasse want sy doen gimnastiek en oefen die elke middag behalwe op n Vrydag. Ons woon in Klapmuts naby die Paarl.
Hello Lieza
Die verskil tussen Edublox en remediëring is dat Edublox fokus op die kognitiewe vaardighede wat Wiskunde ondersteun, soos verdeelde aandag, visuele prosessering, visuele en werkende geheue, en logiese denke. Edublox is nie ‘n kitsoplossing nie, maar wel ‘n permanente oplossing.
Die Edublox Math Tutor gaan nog lank neem om te voltooi, daarom is jou beste opsie om Louna in die Paarl te kontak vir Mathblox-klasse. Sy sal al die kostes aan jou verduidelik. Hier is haar kontakbesonderhede:
Tel: (021) 872-5040; Cell: 072-510-2986; Email: louna@edublox.com
Address: 9 Dorp Street, Paarl
Groete
Susan