Trouble with math can show up even before kids start having math class and math homework. Here's what dyscalculia can look like in very young kids.
1. Trouble Connecting Numbers to Groups of Things
Kids with dyscalculia often have trouble connecting a number like “4” to groups of things like four cookies, four cars, or four kids. Your child might not know which plate to bring you when you ask for the one with “four cookies” on it.
2. Difficulty Sorting Objects
Kids with dyscalculia often have trouble recognizing patterns, like smallest to largest or tallest to shortest. Your child may struggle to sort things by shape, size, or color.
3. Forgetting Important Numbers
Kids with dyscalculia often have a poor memory when it comes to numbers. Your child may have trouble remember your phone number or that 911 is the number to call in an emergency.
4. Always Asking “How Much Longer?”
Kids with dyscalculia can struggle to have an accurate sense of time. Your child might want to know right after breakfast why it’s not lunchtime already.
Explore more signs of dyscalculia at different ages. And read about steps to take if you think your child might have dyscalculia.
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About the author
About the author
Amanda Morin is the author of “The Everything Parent’s Guide to Special Education” and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.
Reviewed by
Reviewed by
Sheldon H. Horowitz, EdD is senior director of learning resources and research at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.