Hello Sue
My child struggles with math, but it’s hard to tell what’s behind it. Some teachers think it might be dyslexia, others say dyscalculia. They overlap so much, I’m not sure what we’re really dealing with. How do I tell the difference?
Sarah
Hello Sarah
You’re not alone in your confusion. While both dyslexia and dyscalculia can affect a child’s math performance, they do so in very different ways.
Dyscalculia is a math-specific learning difficulty. It directly impacts a child’s ability to understand numbers, develop number sense, and perform calculations. These are children who:
- Struggle with estimating quantities
- Confuse similar-looking numbers
- Have trouble remembering math facts (like times tables)
- Can’t recognize patterns or sequences
In contrast, dyslexia is a language-based learning difficulty. When it shows up in math, the problem isn’t the numbers themselves, but the language around the numbers. A child with dyslexia might:
- Understand math concepts perfectly well but misread word problems
- Struggle to follow multi-step instructions
- Reverse or miswrite numbers and symbols
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
- A child with dyscalculia might look at a group of dots and have no idea how many there are.
- A child with dyslexia might solve the math problem correctly but get it wrong because they misread the instructions.
At Edublox, we recognize both the overlap and the distinctions between these learning difficulties. Our programs strengthen a broad range of foundational cognitive skills — including memory, attention, processing speed, and reasoning — while the academic component focuses specifically on either reading or math, depending on the child’s needs.
Getting the distinction right helps guide the right intervention — and that’s what truly makes the difference.
Kind regards,
Sue
More about Sue
Sue is an educational specialist in learning difficulties with a B.A. Honors in Psychology and a B.D. degree. Early in her career, Sue was instrumental in training over 3,000 teachers and tutors, providing them with the foundational and practical understanding to facilitate cognitive development among children who struggle to read and write. With over 30 years of research to her name, she conceptualized the Edublox teaching and learning methods that have helped thousands of children worldwide. In 2007, she opened the first Edublox reading and learning clinic; today, there are 30 clinics internationally. Sue treasures the “hero” stories of students whose self-esteem soars as their marks improve.
