Choosing a Math Curriculum for Kids with Dyscalculia

Sonakshi Arora
7 min read
dyscalculia

TL;DR: Choosing a math curriculum for dyscalculic learners means looking past “grade level” labels and focusing on how the program builds number sense, uses concrete-visual-symbolic models, and allows slower, mastery-based progression. Research on developmental dyscalculia shows persistent difficulties with magnitude and number processing, so the best curricula lean on visual supports, number lines, manipulatives, explicit instruction, and frequent cumulative review - rather than speed drills or memorization alone.

Why curriculum choice matters so much for dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is not simply “not liking math.” It is a neurodevelopmental learning disability that affects how the brain represents quantities and number relationships, often leading to chronic difficulty with even basic arithmetic. Studies in cognitive neuroscience describe developmental dyscalculia as a persistent difficulty in acquiring numerical and arithmetic skills, associated with atypical activation and structure in parietal and frontal regions involved in number processing in longitudinal brain imaging research. Children may struggle with estimating which of two numbers is larger, placing numbers on a number line, or understanding that “8” is both a symbol and a quantity.

Because of this, a traditional curriculum that races through units, emphasizes speed and memorization, or assumes that “they’ll pick it up with practice” often leaves dyscalculic learners further behind. The curriculum itself becomes an additional barrier instead of a support.

What dyscalculic learners need from a math curriculum

Several decades of intervention research with students who have math learning disabilities point toward a cluster of features that consistently help. A meta-analysis of mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities found that approaches emphasizing explicit instruction, visual representations, and carefully sequenced practice yielded the strongest gains in performance. At the same time, research on dyscalculia highlights the importance of strengthening magnitude and number-line representations rather than teaching procedures in isolation. 

For curriculum decisions, this translates into a few non-negotiables:

  • Intensive number sense work (comparing, estimating, composing, and decomposing numbers)
  • Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) teaching with manipulatives and visuals before symbols
  • Consistent use of number lines and other spatial models
  • Explicit instruction with clear modeling and guided practice
  • Frequent cumulative review of core ideas over time
  • Emotionally safe, low-pressure fluency practice instead of timed tests


1. Look for a curriculum that treats number sense as the foundation

For dyscalculic learners, “number sense” is not a warm-up; it is the main course. Research shows that early magnitude understanding and mental number-line skills strongly predict later arithmetic success and help distinguish children with specific math difficulties from their typically achieving peers. A curriculum that is dyscalculia-friendly will build in daily experiences with:

  • comparing which set is larger or smaller using objects, dot patterns, and visuals
  • placing numbers on a number line and talking about “closer” and “farther”
  • breaking numbers into parts and putting them back together (e.g., 7 as 3 and 4, or 5 and 2)
  • reasoning about “how much more” or “how much less” instead of only writing equations

When reading sample lessons or teacher guides, it helps to ask: Does this curriculum spend significant time helping children feel the size of numbers, or does it rush to algorithms? The more time it spends deepening quantity understanding, the better aligned it is with dyscalculic needs.

2. Prioritize programs that use the CRA (Concrete-Representational-Abstract) approach

The Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) sequence begins with hands-on manipulatives (concrete), moves into drawings or visual models (representational), and only then introduces equations and symbolic notation (abstract). Research shows this progression strengthens both conceptual understanding and procedural accuracy for students with mathematics learning disabilities.

In a dyscalculia-friendly curriculum, CRA is not an occasional suggestion; it is baked into the design. That might look like:

  • using base-ten blocks or bead strings to show regrouping before teaching column subtraction
  • building equal groups with counters before writing multiplication facts
  • drawing bar models or arrays before using symbolic equations

Some studies focusing on students with learning disabilities also show that CRA-based instruction can improve understanding of topics like algebraic reasoning and fractions, with gains maintained at follow-up in single-subject intervention designs. When evaluating a curriculum, it helps to check whether manipulatives and visuals are presented as integral lesson steps - not as optional “extras if you have time.”

3. Make number lines and spatial models non-negotiable

Dyscalculic learners frequently show weaknesses in constructing a mental number line and linking spatial position to numeric magnitude. Interventions that train children to map numbers onto number lines, sometimes using movement or embodied activities, have been shown to improve numerical understanding and early arithmetic skills in embodied number-line training studies. Other work on number-line development highlights that digital and interactive environments can strengthen spatial-numerical understanding by giving learners repeated opportunities to place, adjust, and compare quantities on a line - an approach supported by research showing that the developing mental number line is closely tied to mathematical proficiency in children in open-access studies of number-line representation.

Effective dyscalculia-friendly curricula will therefore use number lines and spatial diagrams across topics (addition, subtraction, fractions, measurement) instead of confining them to a single “number line unit.” When skimming sample pages, it helps to look for tasks where students:

  • place numbers or fractions on a line, explaining their reasoning
  • show jumps on a number line to represent addition or subtraction
  • use bar models or strip diagrams to show “part–part–whole” relationships

4. Check for explicit, step-by-step instruction

For many dyscalculic learners, “discover the pattern” style lessons are simply too demanding on working memory and executive function. Explicit instruction, where teachers clearly model strategies, think aloud, and then guide students through structured practice, is repeatedly identified as highly effective for students with math difficulties. Reviews of instructional components highlight that explicit instruction, combined with strategy teaching and feedback, has one of the largest effects on mathematics outcomes for neurodivergent learners.

Curriculum materials should therefore provide:

  • clear teacher scripts or modeling examples
  • worked examples that show each step explicitly
  • guided practice before independent work
  • consistent routines (e.g., always “build, draw, then write”)

When sample lessons leave teachers guessing how to explain a concept, it becomes much harder to keep instruction consistent for a dyscalculic learner who needs clarity and repetition.

5. Look at how the curriculum handles different domains: facts, fractions, and beyond

Even within a strong overall program, some domains can be especially fragile for dyscalculic learners. Basic facts, fractions, and word problems tend to be the most challenging. Research suggests that focusing on strategy-based fact instruction (such as making tens, using doubles, or leveraging structure) is more effective than rote memorization for children with math difficulties. Multiplication and division teaching should emphasize patterns, arrays, and repeated addition before expecting fast recall. This is also where targeted work with skip counting can play a powerful bridging role from counting to multiplicative reasoning.

Fractions add another layer of difficulty because they require coordinating part-whole relationships, measurement ideas, and new symbols. Studies of fraction interventions show that using number lines and area models, rather than only pie pictures, leads to stronger conceptual gains and transfer to new problems. When evaluating a curriculum’s fractions units, it helps to see whether they lean heavily on number lines and bar models, explicitly connect fractions to whole-number reasoning, and spend adequate time on concepts before pushing procedures.

6. Check for cumulative review and flexible pacing

Dyscalculic learners often need more time and more revisiting of earlier content to make learning stick. A curriculum that introduces a concept for a week and then moves on permanently is unlikely to work well. Instead, look for:

  • spiral review of core ideas (place value, basic facts, number comparison)
  • regular mixed-practice sets that blend new and old content
  • teacher guidance on reteaching and intervention lessons within the program

Flexible pacing matters as well. The curriculum should allow a learner to stay with essential foundational concepts until mastery - especially in early grades - without assuming that every child moves at the same speed.

7. Consider how technology and apps fit in (without replacing teaching)

​Digital tools can complement a strong curriculum by providing extra visual practice, interactive number-line work, or game-based repetition that doesn’t feel like a test. Research on computer-supported number-line training and embodied digital interventions suggests that interactive environments can help children with math difficulties build more accurate numerical representations and improve calculation skills.

The key is that apps align with the same principles as the core curriculum: strong visuals, CRA progression, explicit modeling of strategies, and emphasis on understanding over speed. They work best when introduced intentionally - before or after teacher-led lessons -rather than as a standalone “solution.”

Some Curriculums to Consider

Following are a few of the curriculums that do well on the above criteria and can be considered for kids with Dyscalculia.

  • ​Math-U-See - Multisensory Math curriculum, uses manipulatives, video lessons and a mastery-based approach. It builds concepts incrementally, with each level building upon the previous one, while continuously reviewing past material. 
  • ​Shiller Math - Another multisensory curriculum, focusses on visual, kinesthetic, auditory and tactile learning styles so that the curriculum adapts to the child rather than the child adapting to the curriculum. 
  • ​Monster Math - a focussed, Math fact fluency product that helps build strong number sense via visual manipulatives, a game-based approach (to reduce anxiety) and CRA approach (moving from Concrete to representational to Abstract) for better pedagogical outcomes. 

Final thoughts

Choosing a math curriculum for a dyscalculic learner is really about choosing a way of teaching that respects how their brain processes numbers. Programs that slow down to build number sense, lean on concrete and visual models, systematically use number lines, and provide explicit, step-by-step instruction give these learners a real chance to understand mathematics on their own terms. With the right curriculum - and the patience to let learning be slower, deeper, and more visual - dyscalculic learners can build not just skills, but mathematical confidence.

FAQs: 

1. Should a dyscalculic learner always use a separate, specialized curriculum?

Not always. Some children benefit from a specialized intervention program for part of the day and participate in the core classroom curriculum with accommodations and supports. The most important factor is that whichever curriculum is used follows evidence-based practices like CRA, number-line integration, and explicit strategy teaching for students with math learning difficulties.

2. Are timed tests always a bad idea?

For many dyscalculic learners, yes. Timed tests tend to increase math anxiety and reduce access to working memory, which further depresses performance. Building fluency through strategy-based practice, games, and low-pressure repetition produces stronger long-term results than speed-focused drills.

3. Can a child with dyscalculia ever “catch up” to grade level?

Many can make significant progress when they receive targeted, research-based instruction that focuses on number sense, visual models, and steady cumulative review. Progress may not follow the same timeline as peers, but a thoughtfully chosen curriculum and consistent support can narrow gaps and build lasting confidence.

4. What should I do if the school’s chosen curriculum is very abstract?

Even if the main program is abstract or fast-paced, it is still possible to adapt it. Adding manipulatives, drawing number lines for problems, explicitly teaching strategies, and building in reteaching sessions can make the existing curriculum much more accessible to a dyscalculic learner.

5. How do I know if a curriculum is “working” for my child or student?

Signs that a curriculum is working include improved ability to explain ideas in their own words, more accurate number comparisons and estimates, increased willingness to attempt problems, and gradual reduction in errors on previously taught content. Small, steady gains in understanding are more important than quick jumps in test scores.

References​

DYSCALCULIA CURRICULUM
INCLUSIVE MATH EDUCATION
DYSCALCULIA
Fun Math Learning For your Kids

Fun Math Learning For your Kids

Improve your child's Math Fact Fluency with Monster Math!

Sonakshi Arora

Sonakshi is a marketer at Makkajai (makers of Monster Math) and a highly energetic content creator. She loves creating useful and highly researched content for parents and teachers.

Monster Math Blog

A Blog on Neurodivergence and Math.

Visit Site

Previous Post

Best Assistive Tech for Math Learning Disabilities - 2025 Review

Next Post

10 Low-Prep Multiplication Games for ND Kids Who Hate Worksheets