How your eyes detect quantities

Dyscalculia: News from the web:

New research from the University of Sydney sheds light on how we perceive objects and know how many there are:

“Result shows that numerical information is intrinsically related to perception,” said Dr Elisa Castaldi from Florence University. “This could have important, practical implications. For example, this ability is compromised in dyscalculia which is a dysfunction in mathematical learning, so our experiment may be useful in early identification of this condition in very young children. It is very simple: subjects simply look at a screen without making any active response, and their pupillary response is measured remotely.”

Read all about it: HERE

Understanding various learning disabilities

Dyscalculia: News from the web:

Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can frustrate students, confound parents and challenge educators. But all are treatable once they have been detected and diagnosed.

Learning disabilities do not indicate intelligence, nor do they spring from emotional disturbances, physical challenges or poverty. Rather, learning differences result from the way a person’s brain is wired to process information and make connections. They are common, neurobiological in origin and often inherited from a parent.

Read all about it: HERE

‘Groupitizing’

Dyscalculia: News from the web:

‘Groupitizing’ refers to the observation that visually grouped arrays can be accurately enumerated much faster than can unstructured arrays. Previous research suggests that visual grouping allows participants to draw on arithmetic abilities and possibly use mental calculations to enumerate grouped arrays quickly and accurately. Here, we address how subitizing might be involved in finding the operands for mental calculations in grouped dot arrays. We investigated whether participants can use multiple subitizing processes to enumerate both the number of dots and the number of groups in a grouped array. We found that these multiple subitizing processes can take place within 150 ms and that dots and groups seem to be subitized in parallel and with equal priority. Implications for research on mechanisms of groupitizing are discussed.

Read all about it: HERE

Building fluency but with improved cards

Dyscalculia: News from the web:

Building fluency in multiplication is important but the old fashioned flash cards are not the way to go. So here is a link to two free sets of improved cards to use with your student. One uses subitizing and the other set uses arrays to make things clear for them.

Read all about it: HERE

The power of estimation

Dyscalculia: News from the web:

Estimation is a critical skill. We use it every day. When you pay your monthly bills you probably do not add them up to the last penny but rather round them and estimate if you have enough money in your bank account. When you make a roadtrip you estimate how much gas you’ll need and when you go to the grocery store you estimate how much money you’ll nee. So today we link to a good article from Thomas Courtney on Edutopia with strategies to teach students this important skill.

Read all about it: HERE