Students face a hefty challenge as they struggle to climb through the pathways leading to an academic summit called success in mathematics. Once they get there, the view is great. En route there are seemingly endless obstacles. The pitfalls are especially troubling for students who have differences in learning that impede their ability to think with numbers. Let’s look at some of the challenges and the ways they might not be met. We can divide these into: knowing what you’re doing; remembering what to do and what you’re doing, and becoming a good problem solver.

Knowing What You’re Doing
Different students have different levels of understanding when they engage in mathematics. Some go through the mathematical motions, while others understand in depth such concepts as place value, factoring, and circumference. Students with weak concept formation are apt to over-rely on rote memory.
HELPFUL HINTS: They need help mapping out the important concepts in diagrams and getting a chance to explain them in their own words before applying them. They also can use hands on experience applying the concept(s) outside of school in practical ways.

Some kids have trouble understanding the technical language of math. Terms like exponent, hypothesis, and denominator can confuse them. Also, they are likely to become confused with word problems and verbal explanations of the processes.
HELPFUL HINTS: These kids may benefit from keeping a personal dictionary of key terms. They need practice looking at word problems and just identifying what process (such as subtraction) will be needed – without having to solve the problem. To help with problems understanding verbal explanations, teachers should give these kids correctly solved problems (demonstration models) to analyze and talk about.

Remembering What to Do
Lots of students go to pieces over the memory load imposed by mathematics, which is one of the most cumulative subjects kids face; things keep on depending upon what you’ve learned in the past, and that adds up to a colossal drain on memory. Some kids have trouble recalling facts. Some do okay with math facts, but have a hard time recalling how to do things (like long division). Others have trouble remembering what they’re doing while they’re doing it (a so-called active working memory deficit). Still others fail to recognize and respond well to the many different recurring patterns, patterns such as hexagons, phrases (like "is the equivalent of"), and symbols (such as %, +, =).
HELPFUL HINTS: Try to figure out which memory part isn’t working. Then design drill games to use for 10 minutes a night just before the child goes to bed until the recall becomes fast and accurate (we call this automatization). Remember, long-term memory works best right before someone goes to sleep.

Becoming a Good Problem Solver
Good work in math depends upon a systematic stepwise approach to problem solving. Some kids try to do everything at once or they work too quickly or they don’t consider alternative strategies, trying only the first approach that comes to mind. Often they don’t proofread or focus enough on the details. These shortcomings are especially common in kids with attention deficits when they approach mathematics.
HELPFUL HINTS: Help kids like this pace themselves. Reward them for working slowly. Give them proof reading exercises, opportunities to find errors in the work of others. Encourage them to talk their way through problems – step by step. Have them describe how they will solve a problem before they begin their work. Also, have them explain the steps they used once they have completed a problem.

Taming Math
Math can be intimidating for kids. They need practical arithmetic experiences that are fun. Examples would be computing sports statistics, doing craft projects that entail calculations, and playing number games. Most important, however: don’t ever let a child get more than six months behind in mathematics. Catching up after that can be nearly impossible, and affected students are apt to develop paralyzing mathematics phobias.

If we understand the nature of a child’s strengths and weaknesses, we can help any child to achieve and feel good in mathematics. It’s a matter of finding the best itinerary and the best route through the subject’s many possible pathways.