Melvin: What specifically edludes them?  Can they do single digit addition
OK? Is multiplication OK? Does the breakdown come at subtraction and
division? If so, are their answers in subtraction off by 1 all the time?  I
have an idea of how to get started with them if this last is true.

Another thing: Ask if they can ask a parent how they moved as an infant. Did
they roll over and over or scoot on their bottom and never crawl?

Dorothea
  -----Original Message-----
  From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Melvin Rice
  Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 12:04 PM
  To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
  Subject: [SpecialTopics 710] Re: Productive disposition




  Melvin Rice
  ABE Instructor
  Kansas City Kansas Community College
  melvinr at kckcc.edu


  >>> <steinkedb at earthlink.net> 9/20/2007 8:57 AM >>>

  About test anxiety and "productive disposition":

  Melvin - My comments about Part/Whole concept are based on work by Les
Steffe (emeritus of the University of Georgia) and others. There may be
other developmental concepts besides Part/Whole that your "dyscalculia"
students missed somewhere along the line. Can you give a description of the
specific things your students seem unable to do? (I'm assuming your students
are of normal mental development and have not had traumatic brain injury.)

  Dorothea Steinke

  Hi Dorothea,

  Now keep in mind that I am no diagnostician, but a simple ABE math
instructor. That being said, The students I am thinking of are of average or
higher intelligence. However the basics of math such as number sense, basic
math facts, and simple computation constantly evade them. For the past year,
not only have I worked with them one-on-one as well as a traditional class
setting, but I have also had a math tutor working with them. They appear to
grasp a concept while working with it and then a few minutes later it is
gone. This does not happen with them in other disciplines, only math. I have
seen one of the students come to tears in frustration over not being able to
retain what was just covered minutes earlier. I have been using several of
the techniques picked up from the TIAN sessions I have attended, such as
calculators, manipulatives, and other hands-on material as well as the
EMPower books and this seems to be helping some. I really found the article
by Dr. Kenyon which I referenced in my earlier post to be enlightening and
provide another framework in which to view students who struggle with math.

  Melvin
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