When the numbers don’t add up: Understanding Dyscalculia

This is not necessarily a reflection of intelligence or effort – rather, it is often the result of a specific neurological condition called dyscalculia, also known as a specific learning disability in mathematics. While most people are born with an innate number sense (an intuitive ability to understand and compare quantities) those with dyscalculia perceive numbers as confusing, arbitrary symbols. While even infants can notice when a group of sounds or objects changes in quantity, a dyscalculic brain struggles to make these basic connections.

Neuroscientists have identified that our primary number processing occurs in the parietal lobe, located just above the ear. In a typical brain, this area allows us to subitise, which is the ability to look at a small group of dots and know there are four without counting them one by one. For a person with dyscalculia, this “gut feeling” for numbers is often missing.

The mental bridge between the symbol (the digit 7) and the actual magnitude it represents (seven items) is unformed or fuzzy in the brain. Experts in mathematical learning emphasise that the subject is strictly hierarchical. It is built like a skyscraper; if the foundation is cracked, the upper floors will eventually collapse.

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Many children fail not because they cannot grasp complex algebra later in life, but because they never mastered that basic concept of number and quantity. One such example is decomposition and recompositing of number – the ability to see that a 10 can be broken into a 7 and a 3, or a 6 and a 4, manipulated, and put back together again. Without this mental flexibility, every mathematical task becomes a monumental chore for the working memory, and the individual relies on counting strategies their entire lives.

Dyscalculia is often called the dyslexia of mathematics. Although not quite accurate, it is nearly as prevalent, affecting roughly 8 to 10 per cent of the population, and just as debilitating, yet it remains significantly under-diagnosed. The signs often go beyond simple arithmetic errors.

They include place value confusion, such as writing “one hundred and two” as 1002, and persistent confusion between symbols like times and divide. Many also face great difficulty reading analogue clocks, telling the time, or estimating how long a task might take. Often, they rely on physical counting for basic addition long after their peers have moved to mental recall.

The good news is that the brain is remarkably plastic. While dyscalculia is a lifelong condition, targeted intervention can build the neural bridges that are missing. One of the most effective strategies involves the prolonged use of manipulatives – physical objects like blocks, beads, or rods.

These students need to “see” and “feel” the math so that they can strengthen visualisation skills. They need to physically break a block of ten into two fives to understand the logic of the number. This concrete experience should last much longer for a dyscalculic student than for their peers, moving slowly from the physical object to a visual drawing, and finally to the abstract symbol.

Low numeracy skills is a significant hurdle. Studies have shown that poor maths skills can impact a person’s life prospects even more than low literacy, affecting everything from financial management and debt to general employability. We can replace defensive outbursts with tools and understanding.

When we change the way we teach numbers, we don’t just help a child pass a test – we change their ability to navigate the world. For additional resources, visitwww.bellavista.org.za

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