Visual spatial challenges can significantly impact math abilities, serving as a key sign of semantic dyscalculia. Difficulties might include trouble with estimation, properly aligning numbers, and being able to recognize patterns. If your child struggles in this area, the following strategies can help:
- Turn notebook paper sideways to create vertical columns and label the columns as “ones,” “tens,” and “hundreds”
- If available, use graph paper in this same manner, writing one digit per box
- Try to avoid cramming too much information into a small space
- When possible, enlarge any charts, graphs, or diagrams you are using
- Use a ruler to help draw shapes, lines, and diagrams
- Have a number line available at home and attach one to your desk at school
- Create number lines outside and play hopscotch with the numbers
- Use dominoes, dice, playing cards and other objects to help make math more concrete
- Use T charts to help visually organize each side of the equation. Draw a horizontal line beneath the equation and a vertical line down from the equal sign:
- Use a different color pencil or marker for each step in multi-step problems
- Cut off the bottom third of a file folder and draw lines for the different place values. Write the numbers 0-9 on several sets of notecards and place these in the proper place in the folder to represent the numbers with which you are working.
Reference:
Feifer, S. (2017). The neuropsychology of mathematics: An introduction to the FAM. Middletown, MD: School Neuropsych Press, LLC.