West Australian students with persistent and enduring difficulties in school due to dyscalculia – the mathematical version of dyslexia – could be falling through the cracks, as schools grapple with the sheer number of students struggling with the subject.
A survey by the Grattan Institute revealed this week that schools have been too slow to rule out “faddish but unproven” maths teaching methods, with just 12 per cent of WA’s year 4 students excelling at maths, increasing slightly to 13 per cent by year 8.
Australia has a maths problem. One in three of our school students fail to achieve proficiency in maths.Credit: SMH
The report stated that “excellence remains elusive”, with too many children starting high school without having mastered fundamentals, creating a “vicious cycle” of underachievement and a wide range of student ability by year 7.
WA experts are concerned that because so many students are struggling in the subject, dyscalculia is easy to miss for both parents and teachers.
Mandy Nayton, chief-executive from the WA branch of the SPELD Foundation, described maths as the “forgotten cousin” and said dyscalculia was poorly understood.
“Persistent and enduring difficulties fall by the wayside because so many are struggling,” she said.
“It can be easy to say that a child is bad at maths and leave it at that but if a child is bad at reading, that’s a different story.
“It’s a travesty on two fronts that has a significant impact on quality of life and economic outcomes in the future.”
Nayton said those with dyscalculia were likely to develop maths anxiety from a young age, and start believing they would fail before even trying.
“Explicit step-by-step instruction with lots of support and feedback is key in reassuring students they are capable,” she said.
“We need to boost their confidence so they want to keep going and learn the subject.”
She said paying attention to numerosity – the ability to understand the meaning of numbers and patterns – was important in diagnosing the disorder, for example if you asked a child to put the number five on a line between one and ten and they didn’t place it near the middle, that could be a sign.
“It’s crucial to diagnose this early, the later it is picked up the harder it is for students to keep up with the curriculum,” Nayton said.
Parents can ask for an assessment if they have concerns. While those assessments usually take place through private institutions like the SPELD Foundation, some school psychologists can provide a diagnosis.
The Grattan report looked at one school in WA as a shining example of what should be done – Wattle Grove Primary School.
The school was one of seven nationally, and the only school in the state, to be featured as a case study identified as having strong approaches to maths teaching.
The school worked alongside three schools in other states to develop their own curriculum material.
They also “ability group” students – roughly ten students from each level are selected for two full-time, high ability multi-age classes (years 1 to 3, and 4 to 6).
The classes cover all learning areas with an accelerated curriculum, with students returning to their age groups for extracurricular activities like dancing lessons and swimming.
A leader at Wattle Grove Primary School, who has remained unnamed in the Grattan report, also said unless leaders were “visiting classrooms frequently, we might falsely assume that strategies are being implemented effectively”.
Western Sydney University Professor Catherine Attard said the development of robust foundational skills in primary mathematics must be prioritised.
“The report rightfully recommends that teachers need access to high-quality and ongoing professional development to facilitate and enhance student learning,” she said.
“The report also calls for better guidance on the effective teaching of mathematics. This recommendation should be approached with caution to ensure a one-size-fits-all approach is avoided.
“Rather, teachers need professional development that will build their capacity to use professional judgement and an understanding of school context to select pedagogies that are truly responsive to student needs.”
with Lucy Carroll
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