← Atlas of Difficulties
S-34
The child doesn't understand math words: add, subtract, between
Type: verbal
What the research says
A verbal symbol not only encodes perceived objects and relationships but also refines them, helps to tell them apart and supports more successful formation of mathematical concepts.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, p. 169 (2005)
In children with severe speech and language disorders, passive vocabulary far exceeds active vocabulary. An underdeveloped command of antonyms and synonyms and difficulty finding antonyms for less familiar words create specific difficulties in understanding math terminology and solving arithmetic word problems.
Baryaeva L.B., Kondratyeva S.Yu. Dyscalculia in Children, pp. 54–58 (2013)
Exercises at home — free
Verbs for math operations
Builds: The link “word — action with the hands”: without it the child doesn't understand the instructions
You need: cubes or counters, Explain Math to Me number frames
- Lay out the objects. Name an action, and the child does it with their hands: combine, add, take away, measure, divide, compare.
- The reverse: the adult does it, and the child names it in words.
- Add everyday verbs: buy, sell, give, take.
- Say each action out loud.
- Link to math: “gave away” — subtraction, “bought more” — addition.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, p. 168
Math antonyms
Builds: Antonyms — the basis of comparison problems
You need: cards with paired pictures (big/small, long/short)
- Show a pair. The child names both words: big — small, long — short, wide — narrow, high — low.
- The adult says a word — the child says the opposite and finds the object.
- Antonym verbs separately: join — separate, add — take away, buy — sell.
- Harder: the adult shows an action — the child does the opposite.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, p. 168
Where? Where to? When?
Builds: Words for space and time — the skeleton of a word problem's conditions
You need: small objects, an Explain Math to Me number frame
- Block 1 — place and direction: there, here, that way, on the left, on the right, between, in front of, behind, above, under.
- Block 2 — time and order: first, then, earlier, later, yesterday, today, tomorrow, a lot, a little, more, less.
- The adult does an action — the child describes it: “the ball is between the blocks.”
- Then the adult says a sentence with a gap — the child fills in the right word.
- Check with the number frame: “Put the stick above the frame / below it / between the cells.”
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, p. 169
Double comparison
Builds: The “more than…, but less than…” construction — the basis of comparison problems
You need: three cards with characters of different ages or sizes, stand-in figures
- Three cards: a grandfather, a father, a child (or three houses of different heights).
- “Show me the one who is older than the daughter but younger than the grandfather.”
- “Who is the youngest? Who is the oldest?”
- Check: the figures are placed next to the pictures.
- Harder: three houses — “Show me the house that is shorter than Petya's but taller than Tanya's.”
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, p. 169
Describe what you're doing
Builds: Saying it out loud builds a mental plan of action
You need: objects for counting, Explain Math to Me number frames
- The child handles the objects and says each action out loud.
- Example: “I'm putting three sticks in the left frame and two in the right one. Five in total.”
- The adult asks: “What did you do? How many are there now? Why did you add and not take away?”
- Rule: no saying “this and this” — only precise words.
- Talking while acting is not an explanation for the adult — it builds a mental plan.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, p. 169
Who does what? Understanding grammar
Builds: Understanding complex sentences — a skill needed to read the conditions of a word problem
You need: sentence cards, figures for acting them out
- “The sister is calling her brother home. Who is at home? Who is outside?”
- “Dad is being waited for by Olya. Who is running late?”
- “The boy is being chased by a dog. Who is running in front?”
- “Petya was hit by Vova. Who is the bully?”
- The child answers based on the grammar, without guessing. If it's difficult, act it out with the figures.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, p. 169
Math word puzzles — find the one that doesn't belong
Builds: Classifying math concepts: shapes, numbers, features
You need: word cards: circle, rectangle, square, triangle, one, four, zero, big, round, triangular
- “Circle, rectangle, square, triangle. Which one doesn't belong?” — a trap: none of them, they're all shapes.
- Second set: “Rectangle, square, one, four, circle, triangle, zero.” Split them into groups.
- Third: “Round, square, big, triangular.” Which one doesn't belong?
- Discuss: “big” is size, the rest are shape.
- Harder: the child makes up a word puzzle of their own.
Baryaeva L.B., Kondratyeva S.Yu. Dyscalculia in Children, 2013, p. 73
Without help
- Doesn't understand spoken instructions — asks again or does the wrong thing
- Can't read the conditions of a word problem and keep them in mind
- Mixes up operations because they don't know the words: add, take away, divide
- Doesn't understand comparison problems with the “more than…, but less than…” construction
- Refuses tasks that involve explaining