What is Dyscalculia?

This webinar explores cognitive barriers to doing and learning mathematics.

In 2019 a new definition of dyscalculia was published that made the distinction between impairment in the sense of number and other difficulties caused by, for example, working memory or poor literacy. But what is a sense of number and how does it impact on doing maths, how common is it and how can weaknesses in other areas of cognition impact on the learning of maths, and how can we help learners to overcome these difficulties.

[kevinduffy]

When i went to school in the sixties, it wasn't called dyscalculia !.
It was called being thick stupid an idiot waste of time too immature lazy not interested ! .
The closest they ever came to the right name was he/she suffers from number blindness ?.
Even though you could see the numbers perfectly well, They also reckoned that a smack around the head or ruler across the knuckles would help you remember .
And if they embarrassed you enough Or screamed enough abuse at you, you would learn it?, or if you were made to stand out in the hall way you would come back in the class as a fully qualified mathematician .
None of the afore mentioned teaching strategies worked and were never going too ! .
I remember my very first day at secondary modern school, the arithmetic teacher was the first tyrant we would see every day, first lesson was with her .
After introducing her self etc. she said to us i do not have kids in this class who don't know there times tables , so hands up who doesn't know them ?.
No one was game to put there hand up as every one was terrified, one of the kids said how did you manage to learn them Duffy ?, As you didn't know them when you were in junior school ?.
So after she asked me some of them i got sent out side to stand in the hall way supposedly to learn them ?.
Every day i would go into the class get my name marked off the roll, then she would ask what's 7x6 etc.to which I didn't have clue so was punted out in the hall way .
After 2 weeks the head master asked me why I was out there I said I don't know the times tables ?.
He sent me back in to the class room and had words with her over it .
I didn't last long in there as they were doing long division . I had no idea how to do that and was soon sent out side again .
2 months later i had 2 days in the hall way and 3 days off I went in on the Monday and she said I was going to fail the half year exam ?, And it was my fault ?, as I had missed too many lessons etc. and it was my fault and she couldn't spend any extra time with me as it wouldn't be fair on the other kids .
To which I replied I haven't passed an arithmetic test or exam yet so why does it matter now !.
I only doing the addition subtraction and adding all the dots up in the multiplication, wasn't going to cut the mustard !!.
The head master said I could have another go at it as only got 3 right .
I still only got 3 right then .