How Do Math Games Help Dyslexic Kids Learn?

Dyslexia is often described as a “learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing” despite having a normal intelligence level. In layman’s terms, dyslexia is a state where learners get confused with letters and numbers and are often unable to read and comprehend them. This syndrome is often found in kids who are learning to read and write, with language and math being the two worst casualties of dyslexia.

Dyslexia, obviously because it is not a ‘disease’, doesn’t have any cure or remedy. The syndrome can only be treated with proper learning tools and techniques that help dyslexic children read, learn and write successfully. Famous Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who successfully battled dyslexia, says that “movies really helped me...kind of saved me from shame, from guilt, from putting it on myself, from making it my burden when it wasn't my burden. I think making movies was my great escape, it was how I could get away from all that.” While Spielberg fought dyslexia with movies, others like noted author and mathematician Lewis Carroll, enigmatic entrepreneur Richard Branson and talented actor Tom Cruise chose to fight it with the help of learning tools such as interactive math games and with the support and encouragement of parents and teachers.

Interactive Math Game Ideas for Learning Place Value

As popular actor Orlando Bloom has said - “Dyslexia is not due to lack of intelligence, it's a lack of access. It's like, if you're dyslexic, you have all the information you need, but find it harder to process”. Access to the right tools and methods paired with the right techniques and knowledge about the process are essential to fight dyslexia. Several interactive math games online have been made in scientific ways to help dyslexic learners comprehend elementary knowledge input.
When it comes to learning place value with interactive math games, don’t be alarmed if kids make up numbers that don’t make any logical sense at all or arrive at wrong answers. However, encourage them to read out the numbers with the ones, tens and hundreds in place. This will help them grasp the digits and identify the numbers while being taught in school. Once kids identify digits and their placement, understanding math concepts will be relatively easier.

Learning Time with Math Games 

Dyslexic kids find it difficult to read time from clocks and take long to understand the concept of time on the wall. Here’s a simple but effective way to help them. Make two clocks from cardboard - one with a long minute hand with dashes as minutes and the other hand with a short hour hand with the numbers 1-12 marked. Explain slowly that the minute hand is the longer one because the word ‘minute’ is longer than ‘hour’. Move the hand five dashes and explain that 5 minutes is as long as the time he takes to brush his teeth. Move the hour hand on the other clock from 1 to 2 and explain that for the hand to move from one number to the next - 1 hour – is roughly as long as it takes him to get ready for school. Make sure the hour and minute hands are made from a colored paper to sustain his interest in the learning.

Interactive math games are sure to help dyslexic kids learn math with ease, besides proving to be a wonderful and fun experience.