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Does Your Child Have a Math Learning Disability called Dyscalculia?

What is Dyscalculia
Do you struggle with basic math problems?

Math can be a difficult subject for many children to master. For some, this struggle may feel unsurmountable due to a learning disability known as dyscalculia. For kids with this learning disability, understanding and processing math concepts can be so difficult that it interferes with daily tasks.  These issues may present themselves when counting money, directions, mental math calculations, or telling time. Understanding dyscalculia is an important first step in ensuring your child receives the support necessary to be successful both in a classroom and in their daily life.

Introduction to Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a math-centered learning disability. It impairs your child’s ability to master number-related concepts. Therefore they struggle to perform math calculations accurately, problem-solve or perform other basic math-related skills. Dyscalculia is also known as “math dyslexia” or “number dyslexia.”

A child with dyscalculia will struggle in all areas of mathematics. Additionally, these difficulties are not a result of poor education, intelligence, or other preexisting conditions. The dyscalculia impacts not only their academic life but all other areas that require the use of mathematical concepts.

More than 10 percent of kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also show signs of dyscalculia, which often co-occurs with the reading disability, dyslexia. It is estimated that up to 6% of the school population struggles with dyscalculia, and about half of those are also dyslexic.

Causes

Dyscalculia can present as a developmental disorder, or it can be acquired as a result of a brain injury or cognitive impairment. Developmental dyscalculia does not have a specific cause; however, studies involving brain development indicate a potential connection to the learning disability.  Research does suggest that genetics may play a role since dyscalculia often runs in families.

Signs

There is no specific test for identifying students with dyscalculia. Instead, clinicians review performance on standardized tests and diagnostic assessments, academic and family history, and background concerning the student’s struggles with math-related concepts. Although finger-counting is often associated with dyscalculia, unless it is persistent in what should be easy calculations by itself, it does not indicate an issue with dyscalculia. Making calculation errors by themselves are also not an indicator of dyscalculia. The frequency, variety, and persistent nature of the errors must be taken into account.

Signs associated with dyscalculia include:

  • Difficulties processing numbers and quantities
  • Difficulty recognizing quantities without physically counting
  • Struggles with problem-solving and mental math
  • Difficulty in estimating
  • Inability to understand money and monetary transactions
  • Difficulty using an analog clock
  • Inability to recall basic math facts such as multiplication tables
  • Poor spatial and visual orientation, such as troubles identifying right from left
  • Difficulty with number sequencing and recognizing patterns

Diagnosing Dyscalculia

Diagnosing your child with dyscalculia is usually the responsibility of a school psychologist or by referral to a neuropsychologist. Since dyscalculia is considered a specific learning disorder (SLD), your child must meet specific criteria for an SLD diagnosis. These include:

  1. Exhibiting at least one of the six symptoms associated with SLD.
  2. The child’s math skills must be below the age-appropriate expectations, negatively impact their academic success, and their success outside of school.
  3. SLD must begin in a school-related setting.
  4. All other factors, such as life influencing events, intellectual disabilities, lack of instruction, and neurological disorders, are ruled out.

Support for Students With This Learning Disability

Since there is no cure or medication available to treat dyscalculia, the focus of treatment is on developing coping skills for your child. This will help them become successful in school and their daily lives.  A child who receives this diagnosis will typically be eligible for support services. This may include an individualized education program (IEP), per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Classroom accommodations for a child with dyscalculia may include:

  • Extra time on tests and assignments
  • One-on-one instruction to target core math concepts
  • Breaking down complicated math problems into more manageable steps
  • Using calculators
  • Visual cues
  • Providing supplemental information in student-specific learning styles

It is important to identify and treat dyscalculia in student learners, to teach them the skills necessary to be successful in the classroom and throughout their adult lives. Click here for more information from Dyscalculia.org

Join the TIA Family and Enroll today!

or call us at 520-230-3833

Here’s What Dyslexia Is and Why It Doesn’t Define You

child reading book - dyslexia
Create Your Own Story

Dyslexia. One simple word that has been given the power by some to define a person’s ability to succeed in the world around them. Often, when a person hears “learning disability,” they assume a lifelong struggle. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is important to understand what dyslexia is, it is equally important to understand that a person can still live a fulfilling and successful life after being diagnosed with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a condition most associated with difficulties in reading. Your child may struggle to understand how a letter or letters represent a sound or how the combination of letters makes a word. This impacts their ability to recognize and break down the sounds of letters. It can influence their ability to remember words they’ve learned already. They may have trouble with the rapid naming of letters, objects, colors, and pictures.

A Strength Rather Than a Weakness

When given a dyslexia diagnosis, you may assume this means a lifetime of struggle. When in fact, many strengths can be found in people with dyslexia. It is important to realize that one-in-ten live with this disorder and that is in no way keeps people from pursuing their dreams.

A strong sense of creativity is often seen in people with dyslexia. They think outside the box and live their lives this way too. They develop a keen ability to be able to find alternative ways to solve a problem, how to learn differently, and how to make things easier. A great example of this use of creativity is in design. The grasp of spatial awareness and pattern recognition is key. This can lead to an advantage in graphic design, structures, and the creation of buildings. Also, many acquire the ability to memorize huge word vocabularies, which is why you will find many dyslexics in the acting profession.

Important Considerations

After a dyslexia diagnosis, there are a few important things to keep in mind for your child.

Communication is key. You hear this often throughout life. One common misconception is that dyslexia will lead to the inability to communicate effectively. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Growing up having to communicate to others what your disability is, teaches you how to communicate with people on a variety of levels.

Look at the big picture. Another common phrase you hear throughout life, often because we get too lost in the smaller details of a project or expectation. People with dyslexia often make fantastic entrepreneurs and managers because of their ability to keep the big picture in sight and not be distracted by the little things.

Famous Success Stories. When someone says the name Steven Spielberg, you could easily begin to list a number of hit movies that he has directed. He has culturally shaped our movie-going experience since the early 70s. What you may not know is that he wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until he was in his 60s. What about Whoopi Goldberg? A woman who hit not only the comedy club stage but also the small and big screen, later becoming a TV host. She grew up being called dumb, not knowing until later in life that she had dyslexia. Or Sir Richard Branson, famous British billionaire entrepreneur. Many of these famous celebrities have acknowledged that what could have been seen as a disadvantage helped shape their careers for the better. If you’re curious, here’s a list of famous and successful people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

Create Your Own Story

Dyslexia is a simple word that by no means defines your story. While you may have to develop the ability to learn differently, it doesn’t mean you learn less. Many misconceptions of what could be a weakness, is in reality, a strength. A learning disability never needs to define a person and what they can do. There are no limits. Here is a personal success story we wrote about previously.

Join the TIA Family and Enroll today!

or call us at 520-230-3833

7 Learning Disabilities – What Are They?

What is a Learning Disability?
What is a Learning Disability?

The sooner a learning disability is uncovered and treated in your child’s life, the sooner they will be able to get help. Your child’s confidence in their early education is very important. How they see and approach education early on will continue through their many years of schooling. When a learning disability goes untreated, it can impact the self-esteem and motivation of your child.

Learning disabilities show themselves in different ways. Understanding what to look for will help improve your odds that the condition can be found. This will give you and your child tools to better help them learn.

What Is a Learning Disability?

A learning disability is an information-processing problem. It prevents you from learning and using a skill. This becomes obvious when what is expected at a certain age or grade level is not what is happening with your child.  The most common learning struggles are with reading, writing, spelling, math, and nonverbal skills.

Some commonly diagnosed learning disabilities include:

Dyslexia

In general, dyslexia is when a child has a hard time reading or learning to read. But your child may struggle to understand how a letter or letters represent a sound. They may not understand that a certain combination of letters makes a word. They may turn letters around.  Many times your child can’t see the difference between b, d, or p. They usually have a tough time reading handwriting. All these things can lead to a big gap in their reading ability compared to their classmates. This could also impact their ability to understand and remember what is being read because they are concentrating so hard on trying to figure out what the words are that they are not paying attention to what they mean. It is usually very obvious by fourth grade when most children should be reading well.

Dysgraphia

This learning disability creates problems with writing coherently. To do this requires complex visual, motor, and information processing skills. This disability often reveals itself in your child as difficulty in putting thoughts in writing and drawing. Other signs may include writing that is slow and labor-intensive. This often leads to frustration for your child. They also can have difficulty with organization, poor handwriting, and errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Dyscalculia

Children with this disability struggle greatly with mathematics. This issue can reveal itself in a variety of ways, including the inability to understand how numbers work. Many times they will turn numbers around or not see the difference between 6 and 9. Therefore this can impact basic calculations, math symbols, and word problems. It can also impact the ability to read a clock, count money, or identify patterns.

Nonverbal

Having a nonverbal disorder can impact your child’s ability to relate to those around them in social settings. Your child may have difficulty or inability to interpret facial expressions and nonverbal cues such as body language and tone of voice. This can impact the way they are able to communicate with the right words. It also can impact their physical coordination, the ability to pay attention, and make plans.

Auditory Processing Disorder

APD is when a child has difficulty processing sound. Children may have difficulty separating sounds such as a teacher’s voice versus background noise.

Language Processing Disorder

Related to APD, this is most often associated with attaching meaning to words. A child with LPD has difficulty processing spoken words, impacting both how the words are received as well as the ability to carry on the conversation at hand.

Visual Perception

This disability is often demonstrated through visual-motor skills. A child’s activities can be affected by anything associated with hand-eye coordination. While reading, your child may often lose their place within the text. They can also have a hard time holding pencils, crayons, and other items involving hand-eye coordination.

A Diagnosis Can Improve Learning Outcomes

Understanding and diagnosing a learning disability early on can greatly improve your child’s success, not only in the classroom but with day-to-day existence. Many of these disorders can be treated with understanding, patience, and guidance. If you have questions, contact your child’s teacher or TIA staff today so they can direct you to someone that can help your child.

Join the TIA Family and Enroll today!

or call us at 520-230-3833

3 Reasons Why Our Small Class Size Is Important in Education

At TIA Class Size Is Important

Imagine a large classroom with close to 30 students and only a single teacher. Many of those students struggle to get the attention they need, and their difficulties only increase as the school year continues. A few kids manage to do well on paper but remember very little from each lesson. Most students need more individual attention than a single teacher can provide. The quality of the teacher’s instruction to every student is inherently diminished because he or she is spread so thin.

Reasons Why Small Class Size Is Important 

Most students have different needs and one of the best ways to ensure a good education for every student is to keep class sizes small. While maintaining smaller class sizes is difficult for many public school districts, it’s worth the effort here at TIA. Schools offering smaller class sizes tend to report better academic performance and overall student satisfaction. Small class sizes offer other advantages. Consider the following three reasons why a small class size can be a boon to your child’s education.

Better Class Culture

In larger classes, cliques tend to form at almost every grade level. A smaller student-to-teacher ratio makes it easier for teachers to ensure students’ individual accountability. Also, this will encourage students to forge lasting friendships with each other and be happy for each other’s success.

Getting your students to work together in the classroom should be every teacher’s goal. At TIA, maintaining smaller class sizes ensures students are more supportive of one another and that each student receives the same level of interaction from the teacher.

More Opportunities for One-on-One Attention

3 Reasons Why Small Class Size Is Important in Education
At TIA, Class Size Is Important!

In a large classroom of nearly 30 students, it’s very easy for some students to “slip through the cracks.” Unfortunately, those are the students who often need the most help. In the largest classrooms, the quiet students and the unmotivated students tend to suffer the most.

At TIA, our smaller classes enable teachers to provide more one-on-one time for each student. Our teachers can more easily approach each student on their level and provide the type of instruction they need. One-size-fits-all solutions do not work in the education world; students may all receive the same lessons, but the way a student navigates those lessons can be entirely unique from the next student.

Greater Opportunity for Better Relationships

With the additional one-on-one time, our smaller classes provide the added benefit for our teachers to have the opportunity to create stronger relationships with each student. Smaller classes make it easier for teachers to identify each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and unique needs. Ultimately, when teachers can identify how their students learn, they will organically be able to explain complex concepts more easily.

Ultimately, smaller class sizes increase student engagement levels, provide individualized learning experiences, and help students feel more recognized and more included, even when they have very diverse educational needs.

TIA is a charter school with small classes. This environment allows the teacher to focus on teaching each student.

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7 Ideas to Help You Be a Good Parent

Part 2.

Be a Good Parent - Make Time for them
Make time to play with your kids

Every parent will eventually wonder whether they are doing right by their children or whether their parenting style is functional. If you are wondering how to be a good parent, the fact that you are concerned about this is a sign that you already are. However, it’s good for you to know a few key strategies that will ultimately help your children grow into productive, responsible adults.

Stay Involved

Don’t be a passive parent. Many parents are in the dark when it comes to what their children are learning or doing. This conveys to your child that you’re disinterested in them. You should be involved in your children’s lives without becoming overbearing.

Refrain From Yelling

You will eventually become frustrated with your children’s behavior at some point and must discipline them. But yelling doesn’t do anything helpful when it comes to correcting bad behavior. Yelling is negative reinforcement. This eventually creates the impression that your child must follow the rules out of fear of punishment instead of simply doing the right thing. You should always strive to coolly explain why your child’s behavior was unacceptable and what they need to do to change it.

Explain Your Reasoning

Children do not have the same grasp of the world and social dynamics as adults. It’s easy for you to make decisions without explaining your reasons to your children.  But this creates confusion, mistrust, and low self-confidence. While you may not need to explain all of your reasons for specific actions to your children, making an effort to share why you made a decision can make a big difference in their response.

Listen to Your Children

You can feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities sometimes. This does not mean it is ever acceptable to ignore your children or disregard their feelings. A clear sign of a good parent is one who takes their children’s concerns seriously. You provide them a supportive safe place that they can learn about the world with more confidence. When your child has a question, even a seemingly simple one, provide them with a clear and detailed answer. It’s also a good idea to try and turn the exchange into a deeper conversation that allows you to learn more about your child and their interpretation of the world.

Be a Positive Role Model

Your most important job when it comes to being a good parent is to be an example for your children. Good parents show by example the behaviors and attitudes that they want their children to cultivate and express as they grow. Any time you expect your child to behave a certain way, you must demonstrate that behavior as well. “Do as I say, not as I do” is not a viable parenting strategy. It does nothing to cultivate trust and respect between parents and children.

Make Time for Your Kids

Sometimes it can be hard to make time for fun with your kids. Family life shouldn’t always be about homework, chores, work, sports and, everyone doing their own thing. If you have to schedule playtime, then do it. Create a “special” night or time each day to just have fun.

Benefits of a Constructive Parenting Philosophy

Being a “good” parent will mean different things to different people. Ultimately, being a good parent means being able to encourage your child to grow into a respectful, responsible, and productive member of society. This will help them become independent and creative. There is no one solid parenting strategy that will work for every child in every family. But these tips can help you refine your current strategy and develop stronger relationships with your children.

Join the TIA Family and Enroll today!

or call us at 520-230-3833

What Are the Signs of Bad Parenting?

parent ignoring child
Mom ignoring child

Part 1

Many parents struggle to reconcile their parenting styles with what society deems “acceptable.” There are countless possible strategies you can use to ensure your children grow up as healthy, responsible, and productive members of society. Unfortunately, some people make bad parenting mistakes that result in their children cultivating low self-esteem, poor self-image, and even trauma in extreme cases.

Some parents may engage in problematic or even outright abusive behaviors knowingly. Others make crucial mistakes when attempting to parent in good faith. There are several common mistakes that all families should avoid, and practical, reasonable, and effective alternatives exist for each of them.

Public Discipline

Discipline is essential for every growing child, but it is up to you to determine the appropriate method, time, and place to administer discipline. One of the worst mistakes you can make is humiliating your child in public. Some people believe that their children need to “learn the hard way.” Some believe that public displays of discipline somehow encourage conformity and obedience. But the reality is that public disciplining of your child only cultivates resentment and distrust. This behavior can also lead to your child experiencing ridicule and bullying from their peers if you publicly discipline them at school or another location in front of other children.

Excessive Reprimands

Every parent will need to reprimand their child at some point. You should know when enough is enough though. Excessively reprimanding a child does not reinforce the original point of the reprimand. Once the point is made and they recognize their error, it is time to move on. Continuing to harp on your child will simply erode their confidence and trust in you. Ultimately, your child will begin to fear you rather than respect you.

Withholding Affection and Approval

Children need your emotional support, even when they make mistakes. When you refuse to hug them or constantly remind them of a recent discipline issue, this does not encourage your child to improve their behavior. Instead, this dynamic will teach them that your love is conditional.

Little to No Encouragement

Parents have the important responsibility of supporting their children and fostering confidence and security. When you fail to provide the encouragement that your child desperately needs, this will only reinforce their belief that they are on their own and that they cannot count on you to support them.

Ignoring a Child’s Questions

It’s no secret that children, especially younger children, are full of questions. You may grow frustrated and ignore these questions. This ultimately leads to your children thinking they can’t rely on you for the answers they need to make sense of the world. Parents must understand that while these questions can sometimes be frustrating, repetitive, or even nonsensical, it’s your job to help them interpret and understand the world. When you ignore your child’s questions, or worse, ridicule them for even asking, this reinforces their belief that they cannot trust their parents to guide them through the world.

Potential Outcomes of Bad Parenting

Countless children have risen above hard family circumstances in their childhood years and achieved tremendous success. However, many other children do not. Bad parenting can squash a child’s ability to make sense of the world. It can also erode their trust in authority and cultivate antisocial tendencies. It may even reduce a child’s ability to become self-sufficient later in life.

Parenting can be difficult and frustrating. You must realize that the experience can change you just as much as your children. Stay positive! Reinforce your children’s independence. Help them navigate the world with confidence. That should be every parent’s priority when it comes to raising your kids.

 

Join the TIA Family and Enroll today!

or call us at 520-230-3833