Tips, tricks, curriculum, and other resources for teaching homeschool math to students with dyslexia.
Welcome back to our series on how to find the best homeschool curriculum for your students with dyslexia. So far we’ve covered the ways that dyslexics learn, Reading Curricula that work, Writing Curricula that work, and Spelling Curricula that work. To read this series from the beginning, click here.
I hope you are feeling encouraged that with the right resources and methods, you can eliminate or lessen many of the daily struggles your kids are having to learn.
There is great FREEDOM and FLEXIBILITY in homeschooling which is WHY homeschooling kids with dyslexia is such a great option.
How to Teach Math to Students With Dyslexia
Like with teaching a dyslexic student to read, any math program that you use, needs to be multi-sensory with lots of review. What works for one family may not work for all families. Have you been thinking over the past week about what curricula you have been using and noticing areas that you can change?
To better understand the difficulties that dyslexic kids can have with math, I recommend reading the following posts on the subject:
The struggles that dyslexic kids have with math is also referred to as Dyscalculia. Read this post to better understand the signs of dyscalculia and ways to help you child.
More tips and tricks for teaching math.
Homeschool Math Curriculum for Kids with Dyslexia
Right Start Math A math program using an abacus. Many parents of dyslexics have found success with this program that works by level rather than grade so that your kids can start at there current level and work there way through all material at their own pace.
Math U See Hands-on and multi-sensory, this program was designed for homeschoolers and is one that we have used for over 15 years with great success.
Teaching Textbooks Teaching Textbooks is a computer-based program that begins in the 3rd grade. Lectures are presented with practice problems. Answers are entered by the student right into the lesson and corrected immediately. If the student misses the problem twice, he or she can opt to watch the solution. This program has been very helpful in our late family homeschool, freeing up much of mom’s time spent teaching. Read my complete review of Teaching Textbooks, here.
Life of Fred Teaches kids to think mathematically using the story of a bay, named Fred, who experiences the need for math in his daily wanderings.  Funny and anything but boring, this helps many kids to begin to actually enjoy math.
Other Resources for Teaching Math to Kids With Dyslexia
The programs listed below are all programs with positive reviews from families with dyslexic kids.
Great site with ideas for making your own math manipulatives – Math Cat.
Free math (and other subjects) printables – Sparklebox.
Times Tales Teaches math facts by creating silly (and memorable) stories with the numbers as the characters. Downloadable or DVD based video options available. Our kids love this program! Read my review here.
Sing ‘n Learn Web site full of audio resources for use in all subjects.
Helpful Web Sites for Help With Math
Made for Math Resources for teaching multi-sensory math including online tutoring.
Chris Woodin – Landmark School  Chris Woodin has a lot of hands on ideas for understanding math concepts. Lots of information on math and the right brain learner.
Donna Young Lots of free, printable math sheets.
Kahn Academy Millions, yes millions, of educational videos on every subject from Math and Science to Computer Science and Test Prep. Excellent resource for when kids don’t get it.
How about you? What methods or curricula have you used with success in your homeschool?
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If you are looking to get educated about dyslexia and how to educate, encourage and empower your kids with dyslexia, you have come to the right place.
For more information on getting started homeschooling your child with dyslexia, consider downloading my free ebook, Homeschooling With Dyslexia 101, that covers things like understanding learning styles and teaching methods, how to create a positive learning environment and schedule, or how to set goals and get it all done.
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This site was created to be a place for families who chose to homeschool their dyslexic kids to share there successes and failures and to offer encouragement to one another. Please consider dropping by the Homeschooling With Dyslexia Facebook Page and being a part of our community!
Currently what works for my 2 dyslexic kids is Math U See. They like using the blocks and I think the teaching back part of it is great. Before we found Math U See we tried Abeka, Saxon, and Horizons. We have recently started using Khan Academy just as a bit of a something else to do. The thing that has surprised me the most is how much my daughter loves Life of Fred. This curriculum says to not use for struggling readers but I think it might depend on how they struggle. My daughter (14 yrs old) is a very slow reader, she cant “sound out” new words, but she has high comprehension. She is also someone that learns with stories as long as the story makes sense to her. She feels very independent with this. I still use Math U See with her because the concrete way it is presented really helps her grasp a concept. She is not using the Life of Fred series at the same level that she is at with the Math U See. I guess I use Life of Fred almost more as part of her independent reading. Anyway it is working for now
We have tried a few different options for math, including Math-U-See and Math Mammoth, and both of those were utter failures with our kids. Except for the Math-U-See manipulatives, they love using those.
We have been using CTC Math for over a year and both of our kids love it. It works well for our oldest son with dyslexia and his younger brother. It’s been interesting to hear about other people’s experience and realize just how important it is to find the program that works best for you and your kids, not just the most popular / highest reviewed.
What is CTC Math?
It is an online math program – CTC Math
My grandson is having difficulty showing how to work his problems out. As well as having difficulty with fractions.
I thought I’d plug a program didn’t see mentioned. My 14 year old daughter is severely dyslexic and dyscalculic (poor kid). We tried so many math programs that did nothing but frustrate us both. Last year we began using ST Math, which is a purely visual method for teaching math. And for the first time she began making steady progress! She is finally learning multiplication! I was afraid we’d never find something that worked. Best part is she does it on her own at her own pace with little to no help from me. Before this she couldn’t even pay for a pack of gum. That is how confusing numbers were to her. It’s a brilliant concept for teaching kids like her.
Wow, that’s awesome Hayley! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Is there a recommendation specifically for more advanced math (algebra and higher)? My middle schooler understands arithmetic but still mixes up or gets confused about the steps. She will do it perfectly one day, and then another day, multiply instead of subtracting. I am having trouble picturing her ever tackling quadratic equations.
She likes Life of Fred; we are working through the pre-algebra 0 level, but I am open to other suggestions.
I am looking for a math curriculum for my 9 year old daughter/4th grade. We have been doing long division for 3 weeks because she gets overwhelmed if she tries to do more than 4 problems a day. She knows the steps and can tell me which step comes next, etc., but she gets lost or overwhelmed and can’t remember where to put the numbers. Up until division, she hasn’t struggled much except for sometimes wanting to subtract up instead of down and forgetting to put a zero in the ones place when doing the second step of multiplying two-digit numbers. With all of these, she will do well one day, and then the next she might get all mixed up. Any suggestions for a good math program for this age and level would be much appreciated!!!
Personally, I would go at her pace with the program you are using. Adding in the use of manipulatives like base ten blocks can be helpful. Also, I create ‘cheat sheets’ for my kids to use to help them remember the steps to multi-step problems.
My 9th grade (going into 10th grade) daughter has been using TT since she was in the 3rd grade. She was doing great in Algebra 1 and has since hit a road block halfway through the program. It just moves quick and WAY too many steps introduced at one time. Not sure what direction I should go into now? Do you happen to have any advice on this?
Hi Kim. This has happened with a few of my kids. You could slow way down and review more. I have recently tried Key to Algebra and my daughter likes it. It moves a lot slower and offers a lot of review! Here’s a link.
I like your site with all of its resource sites. You have a typo under the Life of Fred where you say “bay” and it should be ‘boy’ – just thought you would like to know. I know I would appreciate someone catching a typo on my home page of my business. 🙂
Have a good day!
My 12 year old son is in the middle of Math-U-See Beta. It is taking him hours to do 7-10 problems of multiple digit addition and or subtraction problems. The biggest reason for this is his handwriting. Despite using handwriting curriculum, he can not keep numbers in line, his numbers are very hard to read and so messy. Using the workbook is a messy disaster. He is using 1/2 inch graph paper now but this is also a mess. He seldom gets a word problem right and has a horrible time switching back to review a concept. I dont know how he will ever master basic math at this point. Any adivice? I guess this dysgraphia is his bonus in this difficult learning life.? Ive also contacted Math-U-See for any reccomendations but I have received any help yet.