Key points:
Educators and reading specialists have known for many years about dyslexia, 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 succeed.
But there’s a similar learning disability that is holding back the achievement of students in mathematics, and it’s much less widely 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-age children nationwide–about the same percentage as those affected by dyslexia–only 15 percent of teachers in a recent survey 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 struggles with math and boosting 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 their academic and career success.
Students with dyscalculia typically struggle with critical skills such as memorizing math facts, estimating quantities, remembering the steps involved in solving a problem or a sequence of numbers, and accurately judging magnitude, time, and speed. These problems not only make learning math 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 nation’s 55-plus million students, this would amount to nearly 2.75 million students–about the population of Kansas–with some degree of math learning disability. Yet, dyscalculia remains dramatically under-identified among students.
One reason for this discrepancy is that it’s 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 to make a joke about being bad at math. But we would never just laugh off someone saying they were bad at reading.
How early screening and intervention can help
In targeting reading disabilities, we’ve learned that screening and early intervention can be very effective at helping students overcome these challenges and experience success. Schools should be applying these same strategies in math as well.
Screening for math disabilities should happen early on, as soon as a child has difficulty with the early foundations of math development–such as number sense, mathematical reasoning, memorizing math facts, or making accurate calculations. Early identification and intervention can prevent additional struggles that hinder a child’s ability to learn subsequent, more advanced math concepts, causing them to fall even further behind.
At least seven states have passed recent legislation requiring schools to identify and support elementary students who are struggling in math. For instance, Alabama passed a law in 2022 that requires screening K-5 students for math difficulties, and Florida passed a 2023 law requiring schools to provide support for students in grades K-4 who show a “substantial deficiency in mathematics 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 allocated in the wake of the pandemic provides a key opportunity for schools to invest in early screening and intervention tools to help close math achievement gaps. However, the deadline for using this money is quickly approaching.
Unless they are granted an extension, school and district leaders must decide how to spend their remaining ESSER funding by Sept. 30, 2024–or else they risk losing this important opportunity.
An example of success
The District of Columbia Public Schools is using a free early math screening tool to identify students who may have dyscalculia and give them the intervention they require.
The 10-minute screener provides a scored report that indicates the presence or lack of potential risk factors for dyscalculia and an action plan based on the score. The D.C. Public Schools are using this tool as part of a districtwide initiative called the DCPS Road to Equity & Achievement in Math (DREAM).
“We’re taking the lessons we’ve learned with reading instruction and applying them to the teaching of math,” says Chris Neuhaus, manager of curriculum, intervention, and assessment innovation for the D.C. Public Schools.
By screening for dyscalculia, schools can identify students who might need further 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 using manipulatives and other multisensory methods of instruction within highly targeted, small-group learning sessions, which have been proven effective for students with learning disabilities.
Early screening and intervention gives educators the data they need to provide students with a clear roadmap for success. By screening students for dyscalculia like they screen for dyslexia and other reading disabilities, schools can address a seriously underdiagnosed learning problem—while also raising math achievement and ensuring that all students learn the foundational math skills they need to navigate life effectively.
