Both dyslexia and dyscalculia make it difficult for the child to do mathematics, but they are different.
Dyslexia is more familiar to parents than dyscalculia, which is estimated to occur in 3% – 6% of the population and is found equally in males and females.
Some people mistakenly call dyscalculia math dyslexia, but one child can be identified with both learning differences.
As many as 60% of dyslexic children may also have dyscalculia.
What is dyslexia?
It is a learning difference that manifests as difficulty learning to read, write, and spell, regardless of conventional education, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunities.
What is dyscalculia?
One of the official definitions of Dyscalculia is a specific learning difference, an impediment in mathematics, evidencing problems with:
- Number sense
- Memorization of arithmetic facts
- Accurate and fluent calculation
- Accurate math reasoning.
How are they similar?
- The children with both learning differences have trouble with mathematics.
- These difficulties are not because of poor or no instruction.
- Their challenges are more that those experienced by their peers.
How are they different?
| Dyslexia | Dyscalculia |
| Struggles with reading | Has trouble learning to count |
| Avoids reading aloud | Has difficulty doing basic computation |
| Has trouble memorizing “sight words” | Doesn’t automatically recall math facts |
| Has difficulty with the sounds in words and confuses the order of letters in words | Struggles to make sense of graphs and charts |
| Poor reading comprehension | Struggles to apply math skills in daily life |
| Has difficulty following the sequence in multi-step directions | Has difficulty organizing information when writing |
It is important to remember that your child’s worth is not equivalent to either their literacy skills or their mathematic abilities.
No matter which learning difference is causing your child to have trouble learning, there are ways to help ease the challenges.
Florence, I am so glad I never had dyscalculia, although I am sure I’ve known children who did have it. As early as second grade. I had some weird reading issue where white spots appeared on the page, and it was difficult to focus. But I’ve learned that reading really fast outsmarts the spots! Thanks for another great article.
Keeping in mind that the projected prevalence of dyscalculia is 6%-10% of the population, we all know someone who has it. I’m glad you figured out how to outsmart your reading issue. Thanks for your continued support.