Maths Solutions for Dyscalculia Teens
You can either be :
Dyslexic and awesome with numbers - 🙃
Dyscalculia (number Dyslexic) but awesome with words - 😐
OR
Dyslexic and Number Dyslexic - 😵 life CAN BE A STRUGGLE but we are here to help!
BAD NEWS & GOOD NEWS
BAD NEWS - 40 - 60% of Dyslexic Teens struggle with MATH!! That’s a bummer but there is hope.
GOOD NEWS - those with Dyscalculia or Dyslexia often have amazing SUPER POWER skills in other areas. If you harness those Super Powers you can work around any math dyslexia problems you may have.
There are 6 areas where Dyslexia and math dyslexia brains (let’s call it a ‘dys brain’ for short) are head and shoulders above the average population. This means that having a ‘dys’ brain need not be a problem, in fact it can be an advantage!
You can be really good at:
1. VISUALISING
2. COMMUNICATING
3. IMAGINING
4. REASONING
5. CONNECTING
6. EXPLORING
VISUALISING - 75% of dyslexia and math dyslexia brains are above average in visualising. This means they are better at spatial awareness, senses, physical ideas and new concepts.
Specialised areas: Moving, Making and Inventing
Idea - get out there, run faster, dance better and invent beyond your wildest dreams. You CAN do it BETTER than normal brains.
IMAGINING - 85% of ‘dys’ brains are above average at imagining. Yet again, the ‘dys’ brain rocks.
‘Dys’ brains are brilliant at creating original pieces of work or ideas.
Specialised areas: Creating & Interpreting
Idea - go and create: art, technology, architecture, anything you can imagine. You are more gifted than normal brains…what are you still doing reading this! Go out and create!!!
COMMUNICATING: 71% of people with dyslexia or math dyslexia brains are above average at communicating.
Specialised areas: Explaining & Story Telling
Idea: run a team and make it fun, work in PR or communications, write that book you’ve always been meaning to - with grammar and spell checks getting better and better these days - this kind of stuff isn’t a concern anymore! It’s all about the story, after all.
REASONING - 84% are above average in Reasoning. Man… I’m starting to think who on earth wants a regular brain? - how dull!
Specialised areas: Simplifying, Analysing, Deciding, Visioning
Idea: Set up a company, get into politics, run for CEO, BE the boss. Richard Branson is a fine example of someone who famously has Dyslexia and possibly Dyscalculia. Having a ‘dys’ brain is not an excuse to underachieve!
CONNECTING - 80% of people with dyslexia or math dyslexia are above average at connecting. This is getting ridiculous now!
Specialised areas: Understanding self, understanding others, influencing.
Idea: Go connect with people they will listen as your brain has been developing for years in this area. You can do it BETTER than normal brains.
EXPLORING - 84% of you are above average at exploring.
Specialised areas: Learning, Curious, Energising and Doing
Idea: Go to the north pole and trek some polar bears, climb Everest and explore new areas other people haven’t even thought of.
Now you know about your Super Powers you can focus on what is great about the ‘dys’ brain. Take advantage of your special brain and you can easily navigate around daily mathematical problems. Some of us just need to be taught the basics in a different way. Go to TABLE FABLES - learn your times tables, dividing and number bonds and we promise most maths will become easier, it’s never too late.
MATH DYSLEXIA SOLUTIONS
Mental Arithmetic: Make yourself do mental maths. I know you will hate the idea but it will grow your brain (the brain NEVER stops growing so get to work NOW). Stop making excuses like “I hate maths” and “I’ll never be any good at it”. The fact is you need Math in everyday life. Read more here about Neuroplasticity.
AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION - you will feel super brainy if you dedicate just 5 minutes a day to this.
ADDITION :
You NEED to know your number bonds (adding up to nearest 10 eg 7 + 3 or 43 + 27)
Visual Super Power: use this power to help you remember numbers. Replace numbers with characters and life becomes easier eg 3 is a mouse and 7 is a boomerang add them together to make 10.
Visual tools to help you: Number Bonds
Websites that work on phone: www.tablefables.net
Imagining & Game playing Super Power: Add the numbers on two car registration plates 3 times a day. Eg M742 VGR + G538 MTU = 1280
MULTIPLICATION & DIVIDING :
You NEED to know your Multiplication and Dividing off by heart. (I know it’s difficult and you hate doing it but there is help out there. Replace 5 minutes of social media with mental maths and you will feel 100% more intelligent in 17 days!!)
Visual & Exploring Super Power: use these superpowers to find fun ways around remembering by rote which is very difficult for those with Math Dyslexia
Websites that work on the phone and very visual: www.tablefables.net
Life: As you’re walking down the street look around for numbers. Once again car registration plates are great for this. Take two numbers from a car registration plate and MULTIPLY them together. Eg M742 VGR take the 7 & 4 and multiply them 7 x 4 = 28
A fun game to play to gain speed and accuracy is a version of Scissors, Paper, Stone - (Use both hands) instead of competing with scissors, paper or stone, release a number of fingers on your hands eg you put up 7 fingers and your opponent puts up 6 fingers. The first person to work out 7 x 6 is the winner.