Understanding Learning Disabilities: How Processing Affects Mathematics Learning, developed by the York Region District School Board, is a Companion Resource to the Understanding Learning Disabilities Waterfall Chart. Referred to as the “math waterfall chart”, this comprehensive resource is designed for educators to support students with learning disabilities in the area of mathematics, from kindergarten to [...]
One of the challenges for educators in mathematics is to help students transfer their mathematical understanding from concrete to representational and then to abstract concepts. To support this process, three types of technological tools may prove effective.
In this article, we seek to understand the errors that students make. We offer a number of cautionary notes for creating activities for the acquisition of this mathematical concept. The errors explored in this article come out of research involving students between the ages of 9 years and 12 years, at the moment when they displayed reactions of avoidance, worry or anxiety (DeBlois and Bélanger, 2016, DeBlois, 2014).
One challenge that may arise for students is working with symbolic representations. Students with working memory difficulties continually have to make sense of symbols, and may forget where they are in a procedure. Using manipulatives, graphic organizers, or pictorial representations can reduce this strain on their working memory, as these tools may allow students to draw on their strengths to represent their thinking.
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Watch this video to see how teachers at Sagonaska Demonstration School are using manipulatives to help students at all grade levels improve their mathematical reasoning and problem solving.
Number Talks are short conversations about math problems intended to help students, including those with LDs, consolidate their understanding of concepts.
Like in reading, a disorder in mathematics is not a heterogeneous condition. Some individuals with mathematical LDs may have good conceptual understanding of mathematics but poor calculation ability (e.g., they may answer 2 x 5 = 25 or not be able to borrow). Other students may be great with math calculations but have poor conceptual understanding. Another student may not understand the vocabulary used in a word problem.
Here are a number of principles for working with students who have major difficulties with math.
By Jeffrey MacCormack and Ian Matheson Two trains depart simultaneously from cities 120 kilometres apart. The first train is travelling at 40 kilometres per hour and the second train is traveling at 60 kilometres per hour. How many minutes until they collide? If you have had to answer a word problem like this one, you [...]
