Early detection and intervention are the key to success in mathematics

Key points:

Educators and reading specialists have known about dyslexia for many years, which is why schools regularly use screening tools that can identify students with this reading disability and give them the early intervention they need to be successful.

But there is a similar learning disability that is holding back students' performance in math, and it is much less known.

Although dyscalculia, a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to persistent difficulties in learning number-related skills, is estimated to affect 5 to 7 percent of school-aged children nationwide (about the same percentage than those affected by dyslexia) 15 percent of teachers in a recent survey They said their students have been screened for this learning disorder and many teachers have never even heard of it.

As with reading disabilities, early identification can lead to timely and effective support, reducing students' long-term difficulties with mathematics and improving educational outcomes.

What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia affects a person's ability to understand and work with numbers, which can significantly impact their personal life and academic and professional success.

Students with dyscalculia typically have difficulty with critical skills such as memorizing math facts, estimating quantities, remembering the steps necessary to solve a problem or sequence of numbers, and accurately judging magnitude, time, and speed. These problems not only make learning mathematics difficult; They also persist into adulthood, affecting a person's ability to balance a checkbook, plan a budget, be on time for meetings, and perform many other tasks we take for granted every day.

Even using a conservative estimate of 5 percent of the country's more than 55 million students, this would equate to nearly 2.75 million students (roughly the population of Kansas) with some degree of math learning disability. However, dyscalculia remains dramatically underidentified among students.

One reason for this discrepancy is that it is more socially acceptable to struggle with math than with reading. Think about how common it is to hear someone say, “I'm not a math person” or make a joke about being bad at math. But we would never just laugh at someone who said they didn't read well.

How early detection and intervention can help

In addressing reading disabilities, we have learned that early assessment and intervention can be very effective in helping students overcome these challenges and experience success. Schools should also apply these same strategies in mathematics.

Assessment for math disabilities should be done early on, as soon as the child has difficulty with early foundations of math development, such as number sense, mathematical reasoning, memorizing math facts, or performing accurate calculations. Early identification and intervention can prevent additional difficulties that hinder a child's ability to learn later, more advanced math concepts, causing them to fall further behind.

At least seven states have passed recent legislation Require schools to identify and support elementary students who struggle in math. For example, Alabama passed a law in 2022 requiring screening students in kindergarten through fifth grade for math difficulties, and Florida passed a law in 2023 requiring schools to provide support to students in kindergarten through fourth grade who show a “substantial mathematics deficiency or dyscalculia.” States with similar laws include Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Virginia and West Virginia.

The billions of dollars in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding that Congress appropriated in the wake of the pandemic provide a key opportunity for schools to invest in early detection and intervention tools to help close the gaps. gaps in mathematics achievement. However, the deadline to use this money is quickly approaching.

Unless granted an extension, school and district leaders must decide how to spend the remaining ESSER funds by September 30, 2024, or risk missing this important opportunity.

An example of success

The District of Columbia Public Schools are using a free early education program. math assessment tool to identify students who may have dyscalculia and give them the intervention they require.

The 10-minute screener provides a scored report indicating the presence or absence of potential risk factors for dyscalculia and an action plan based on the score. DC Public Schools is using this tool as part of a district-wide initiative called DCPS Road to Equity & Achievement in Math (DREAM).

“We're taking the lessons we've learned from teaching reading and applying them to teaching mathematics,” says Chris Neuhaus, manager of curriculum, intervention and assessment innovation for DC Public Schools.

By screening for dyscalculia, schools can identify students who may need additional evaluation to see if they qualify for a formal diagnosis, while also determining which students are candidates for evidence-based math interventions. These interventions include the use of manipulatives and other multisensory methods of instruction within highly specific small group learning sessions, which have proven to be effective for students with learning disabilities.

Early assessment and intervention give educators the data they need to give students a clear roadmap for success. By screening students for dyscalculia as they do for dyslexia and other reading disabilities, schools can address a severely underdiagnosed learning problem, while improving math achievement and ensuring that all students learn math skills. fundamentals they need to navigate life effectively.