Dyscalculia
This page has been designed to help you quickly find practical guidance and support for children and young people with dyscalculia or significant maths difficulties.
Sections include:
- overview of needs
- what you might notice
- strategies
- resources and interventions
Overview of needs
Dyscalculia affects how a child understands and works with numbers.
Pupils may find it difficult to:
- develop secure number sense
- understand relationships between numbers
- apply mathematical skills with confidence.
These difficulties are often persistent and may occur alongside challenges with memory and processing.
What is Dyscalculia?
What you might notice
Children and young people with significant maths difficulties or dyscalculia may:
- struggle with basic number concepts, including recognising quantities and understanding how numbers relate to one another
- find it hard to understand time concepts, such as “yesterday” or “tomorrow”
- have difficulty subitising (instantly recognising small quantities, like up to 3 or 4)
They may also show poor number sense, making it challenging to:
- order numbers
- use a mental number line
- count backwards or in steps (for example in 2s, 5s, 10s)
Many learners may also:
- experience ongoing difficulties with recalling number facts and carrying out calculations fluently
- appear to use methods mechanically, often without confidence or understanding
- have working memory or short-term memory difficulties, making it harder to hold and manipulate numbers in their head
Effective support focuses on building understanding step by step, with regular opportunities to practise and revisit learning. Use regular formative assessment to identify gaps and ensure teaching is targeted and paced appropriately.
New concepts
Teach new concepts, for example:
Using a:
- concrete - pictorial - abstract approach
Visual supports
Provide consistent visual supports, including:
- individual number lines
- resources that show number progression clearly
Counting practice
Include daily counting practice to build fluency:
- counting forwards and backwards
- skip counting based on the child’s level
- always supported by a visible number line
Reinforce understanding
Reinforce understanding through daily practice of key concepts, such as:
- one more/one less
- linking numbers to quantities
Practice of procedures
Provide frequent practice of procedures for example:
- addition
- subtraction
- multiplication
- division
(using familiar numbers).
Confidence
Build confidence through:
- regular exposure to word problems, using numbers within the child’s current understanding
Targeted interventions (when more than the universal offer is needed)
When high-quality inclusive teaching is not sufficient, more targeted support may be needed to address specific mathematical learning difficulties linked to dyscalculia.
This would be targeted support focused on:
- developing number sense (understanding quantity, magnitude, and number relationships)
- securing basic concepts such as counting, place value, and number bonds
- building fluency with the four operations through structured practice
These programmes would include:
- number sense interventions (like Numicon-based programmes, Number Sense Maths)
- precision teaching approaches to develop automaticity in key facts
- Concrete - Pictorial - Abstract (CPA) programmes focusing on deep conceptual understanding
Teaching approaches that:
- break mathematical concepts into very small, sequential steps
- use repetition and overlearning to embed understanding
- systematically revisit and reinforce prior learning
These include interventions such as:
- understanding of place value and the base-10 system
- recall of number facts (such as addition, subtraction, times tables)
- mathematical language and vocabulary development
This would include:
- manipulatives (for example counters, bead strings, place value equipment)
- visual representations and structured diagrams
Support plans that:
- identify precise areas of difficulty
- set small, achievable targets
- include regular review and adaptation
For example:
- pre-teaching key mathematical concepts
- additional time and repetition
- reduced content with a focus on depth over breadth
Interventions can also include targeted use of assistive tools where appropriate (for example number lines, calculation aids, digital supports)
It is also important to have regular communication with parents and carers to reinforce learning and build consistency between home and school.
Dyscalculia resources
Dyscalculia Network.
GL Assessment.
NRICH - University of Cambridge.
British Dyslexia Association.
National Numeracy - Getting on with numbers.
The Dyscalculia Information Centre.
Twinkl.co.uk