Math

While there is a social myth that it is okay to have poor math skills, the reality is that a math disability can be seriously handicapping in adult life.  In today's world, mathematical knowledge, thinking, and skills are no less important than reading ability.

MATH DIFFICULTIES

Many students have difficulty with basic mathematics.  For some, understanding the concept of math and how the numbers relate is difficult. This difficulty may be evident early in school, as the student does not understand number patterns, rounding, money, place value or calculations.  

Other students may not develop great difficulty until 3rd or 4th grade, when multiplication, division, decimals, and fractions are introduced.  They may not be able to apply their early education to these concepts, which seem confusing and foreign to them.  These students may also struggle with language aspects of math and story problems.   They may be able to correctly compute the answer to a story problem, but they are often unsure what the question is asking or whether to add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

WHAT WE DO

Reading Therapy Center utilizes RTC Math Therapy and Steve Demme's MathUSee™ curriculum to remediate underlying math difficulties.  Students are taught the ability to think and use numbers, as they begin to understand the concepts behind math skills.  Students begin with a very concrete experience of each math skill, learn to think and verbalize these experiences, and in turn transfer this knowledge into mental imagery so that each skill becomes internalized.  Once internalized, a student is able to apply their therapy knowledge into the school curriculum.

Our math therapy involves a systematic, sequential approach so that all concepts are addressed.  Every math skill builds on previous knowledge; therefore, it is essential to remediate math from the earliest concept to the most advanced.  Our instructors have years of experience in pacing and evaluating a student's math instruction.

In some cases, students with an underlying comprehension weakness may need remediation in the area of comprehension prior to beginning math therapy.  These students would be receiving Visualization/Verbalization™ therapy, while carrying over their imaging skills into the RTC Math Therapy.  

SIGNS OF A MATHEMATICS WEAKNESS

Early Elementary School (Grades K-2nd):

Numeration (Number System) Weakness:

• Difficulty counting forward and backward in the correct order
• Difficulty reading, writing, and/or ordering numbers between 100-1000
• Difficulty completing number patterns such as 33, 36, 39, _____
• Difficulty counting money, especially when using quarters
• Difficulty with early math facts, especially subtraction facts
• Difficulty with the concept of carrying/trading when adding double-digit numbers
• Difficulty with the concept of borrowing/trading when subtracting double-digit numbers
• Difficulty rounding numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand
  

Middle-Late Elementary School (Grades 3-6)

Language/Imaging Weakness:

• Saying, Writing, and/or Ordering numbers between 1,000 and 1,000,000
• Difficulty learning multiplication and division facts
• Difficulty understanding and remembering the process of long division
• Difficulty with the concept of borrowing/trading when subtracting double-digit numbers
• Difficulty with word problems-just don’t know where to begin to solve them
• Difficulty with decimals and fractions
• Difficulty remembering and understanding math terminology/vocabulary
• Difficulty understanding, knowing when to use, and converting between standard units such as a cup, pint, inch, yard, mile, ton, ounce, etc.
  

* Some students present with both difficulties. If math was difficult early on in school, upper elementary math concepts also become difficult.

*"[Trademark or Service Mark (i.e. Lindamood-Bell®] is a [trademark/service mark] of Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes® ("LBLP"). LBLP in no way guarantees the quality of the materials or services that may be supplied by Reading Therapy Center, Inc. Reading Therapy Center, Inc. is not affiliated with, certified, licensed, monitored or sponsored by LBLP, Nanci Bell, Phyllis Lindamood or Pat Lindamood." http://www.lblp.com