My son is 15 and in third grade. He has dyslexia and dyscalculia but has good insight. So far the math has been going well. He finds it very difficult to master the chapter on quadratic equations and functions. It is one big chaos for him. Do you have any tips specific to this part? Are there tools to better understand this?
Answer
Despite his dyslexia and dyscalculia, your son has apparently already reached the third grade without too many problems with mathematics. That in itself is clever of him and probably indicates good resilience. It is of course difficult to analyze his problems from a distance, but quadratic equations and functions require quite a bit of calculation. It is therefore important that simpler calculation rules are well controlled and even automated. When asked what can be done about it, there is only one correct answer. Unfortunately, there is no panacea or trick to solve these problems. What works without a doubt is a lot of systematic practice with this specific material. It is important that the knowledge is built up properly, from bottom to top. By that I mean: start with the simplest and with what he already knows, then make sure that he practices those simple things well, so that he not only understands it, but also becomes fluent in it. Then gradually more difficult exercises can be offered. You probably don’t need an outside therapist for this, but a teacher who is willing to offer such exercises specifically for your son.
Answered by
prof. dr. Wim Van den Broeck
Psychology, Developmental Psychology, School Psychology, Learning Disabilities
Pleinlaan 2 1050 Ixelles
http://www.vub.ac.be/
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