Math Disablities in 4th & 5th Graders - Essay Example

It is an important issue never the less and teachers need to be aware of the complexities of dyscalculia and how to work with students. Using appropriate interventions will make the difference for the student. To do this is not as easy as there is a wide range of math disabilities and the difficulties vary from student to student. What is math disability? Even attempting to define math disability is not straightforward. Definitions vary. Wadlington and Wadlington (2008) defined dyscalculia as “a neurologically based disorder of mathematical abilities”.

They further explain that it “originates as a genetic or congenital disorder of the brain and causes a discrepancy between an individual’s general cognitive level and mathematical abilities” (p. ). Vaidya (2004) states that dyscalculia is “characterized by a poor understanding of the number concept and the number system”. (p.717). She presents some of the common areas where math disability is manifested including counting, giving and receiving change, learning abstract concepts of time and direction.

Developmental dyscalculia is the term sometimes used to describe math disabilities. Shalev (2004) defines developmental dyscalculia as “a specific learning disability affecting the normal acquisition of arithmetic skills in spite of normal intelligence, emotional stability, scholastic opportunity and motivation”. (p.766). Three subtypes of dyscalculia have been identified. One is the difficulty retrieving arithmetic facts, called semantic memory; another is the difficulty in understanding and applying math procedures, called procedural memory; and the third is difficulty understanding spatially represented numerical information, called visuospatial memory.

(Wadlington and Wadlington, 2008). In general children with dyscalculia find learning and recalling number facts difficult. As a consequence of the difficulty in defining math disabilities, diagnosing is also a