High School Algebra - an Unexpected Start
I had two goals regarding algebra this year: One, that my daughter would simply get a passing grade for graduation purposes. Second, that she wouldn’t experience too much crippling anxiety in class and with homework.
I honestly imagined a year of stressful evenings doing math homework together, many tears, and barely scraping by with a passing grade.
Yet, our actual experience has been very different than I imagined!
My daughter is miraculously earning an “A” in class, only occasionally needs help on her homework, and most importantly, she isn’t anxious or stressed about math class.
She and I often puzzle over this surprising outcome. We attribute this unexpected success to gaining a better understanding of how her dyscalculic mind works, and utilizing specific methods to gain a foundational sense of numeracy. Finding a way to teach math concepts in a way that makes sense has been a game-changer.
My daughter had been continually floundering in math class, even with an IEP during 4th-6th grade, so we began learning math at home with specific methods to support dyscalculic learners. Even though our math sessions were sporadic during pandemic life during 6th-8th grade, the overall experience proved successful in growing my daughter’s sense of numbers. So many “aha” moments happened during those three years exploring math in a new way.
But even with that recent success, I wasn’t sure how we were going to successfully navigate high school algebra this year. It felt like too big of a leap, especially because I was told by one high school teacher that we had only covered material through “fourth grade.”
If we had not found these methods and understanding for how her brain works, I can only imagine the tears and overwhelm we’d be experiencing, struggling with algebra worksheets and failing grades.
That confusion and stress was so familiar to us in her elementary years before receiving real help. My daughter could have easily been another student with her head down on the desk, completely lost and discouraged.
I hope this story conveys a sense of hope and possibility. I also want to emphasize how much it matters that we get these students appropriate supports so they can succeed, not only in school, but in their future workplaces and everyday life.
To learn more what we personally found to be so successful for dyscalculia, check out my Dyscalculia Math Education Coaching.
For more stories and updates like these, sign up for my monthly newsletter here: