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Dyscalculia signs checklist
Dyscalculia is about as common as dyslexia and far less often identified. Use this grade-by-grade list to spot the pattern early, then use the suggested next step for that stage. Print it, share it with a teacher, or bring it to a school meeting.
Kindergarten - Grade 1
- Cannot reliably say which of two small groups has more without counting
- Counts every object one by one instead of recognizing small quantities on sight
- Loses track while counting, or skips or repeats numbers
- Struggles to connect the numeral 5 to five objects or the word five
- Avoids number games, dice, or board games that others enjoy
What to try next: Work with ten-frames, dot cards, and physical objects daily. Keep sessions short and end on a success. See the workbook for this stage.
Grades 2-3
- Still finger counting for basic addition and subtraction facts
- Facts do not stick even after repeated drilling
- Confuses place value: reads 27 as 72, or writes 105 for one hundred five
- Cannot estimate whether an answer is reasonable
- Takes far longer than peers on the same page and tires quickly
What to try next: Anchor every abstract step to a visual model. Fewer problems, more depth, identical page layouts. See the workbook for this stage.
Grades 4-5
- Multi-step procedures fall apart halfway through
- Fractions feel arbitrary; halves and thirds cannot be pictured
- Cannot tell whether to add or multiply in a word problem
- Copies problems incorrectly or misaligns columns
- Says things like "I'm just not a math person"
What to try next: Rebuild number sense before procedures. Use number lines and area models for fractions. See the workbook for this stage.
Grades 6-8
- Ratios, percents, and integers do not connect to anything concrete
- Relies on memorized rules with no sense of why they work
- Visible anxiety, avoidance, or shutdown at the start of math class
- Difficulty with time, schedules, and mental estimates of money
What to try next: Teach fewer big ideas with consistent visual models, and let calculators carry the arithmetic load. See the workbook for this stage.
Grades 9-12 and adults
- Avoids situations involving money, tips, measurements, or deadlines
- Cannot estimate travel time, quantities, or costs
- Strong in reading and writing but blocked by any numeric task
- Long history of believing the problem is intelligence rather than a learning difference
What to try next: Focus on functional math: money, time, estimation, and tools that reduce load rather than remove reasoning. See the workbook for this stage.
Keep reading: take the free dyscalculia screening test, what is dyscalculia?, what dyscalculia actually looks like in the classroom, browse every title in the press, or meet the authors.
Recognized some signs?
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