Spotting dyscalculia early: signs and support for teachers
How teachers in grades 1 and 2 can spot early signs of difficulties with arithmetic, what helps in lessons and when a specialist assessment is needed.
In brief: First signs of difficulties with arithmetic often appear as early as grades 1 and 2. Children keep counting to calculate, mix up tens and ones or cannot grasp quantities at a glance. Teachers can provide targeted support early on, above all through materials, language and short, regular practice on basic number concepts. Only a specialist assessment can establish dyscalculia. The sooner it is initiated, the better. Practice programmes such as the Mazio Math Basiscamp can consolidate the basics, flag misconceptions and so support the assessment.
Not every child who is slow in maths has dyscalculia. Many difficulties disappear with good support. If certain patterns persist over several weeks, though, it is worth taking a closer look. This article is for teachers in grades 1 and 2.
How to recognise the first signs
| Observation | What may lie behind it |
|---|---|
| The child works out even simple tasks on their fingers, step by step. | Entrenched counting strategies. Numbers are experienced as a counting sequence. |
| Small quantities up to 5 are counted one by one, although they could be recognised at a glance. | Uncertain sense of quantity. |
| 46 is written or read as 64. | Place value not yet understood; influence of how numbers are spoken (in German, for example, the ones are said before the tens). |
| 8 + 5 gives 12 or 14. | Counting error when bridging ten, numbers are not decomposed. |
| Inverse tasks are worked out from scratch. | Connections between tasks are not used. |
| The child cannot represent a task with materials or a picture. | The calculation has been memorised without an idea behind it. |
A single error is not a sign. What matters is a pattern that persists over a longer period and across similar tasks. Digital practice programmes help with this. Mazio Math evaluates every answer during practice and shows which misconceptions recur in the class and which exercises are not yet secure. Together with your observations in lessons, this gives a more precise picture, including for conversations with parents and specialists.
What helps in lessons
From counting to calculating. Children need strategies that replace counting: decomposing numbers, doubling, making ten. This works with structured materials such as a twenty frame or a bead frame, where the structure of fives and tens is visible.
Quantities at a glance. Short exercises in which quantities are shown only briefly build quick recognition.
Understanding place value through hands-on work. Grouping with tens rods and ones cubes, building numbers, showing numbers in a place value chart. First do, then draw, then calculate.
Talking about the method. Questions such as “How did you work that out?” reveal more than the answer. They help the child to check their own method.
Short and regular. Short, regular practice on the basics is easier to fit into the school day than occasional long support sessions.
When a specialist assessment is needed
If the difficulties persist over several months despite targeted support, a specialist assessment should follow. How this works depends on the country and the school authority, often through school psychology services. Parents should be involved early. For diagnosis and treatment, there is a German S3 guideline on dyscalculia (AWMF register 028-046, published 2018), which the German Teachers’ Association and the Society for Didactics of Mathematics also helped to develop. Diagnosis is a task for specialists.
How digital tools can help
A good practice programme can complement observation in lessons. It shows which errors keep recurring and offers suitable exercises. It cannot replace a diagnostic assessment; it supports one with observations from practice. The digital methods available are described in the overview of tools for assessing learning levels and misconceptions (in German).
How Mazio Math helps children practise the basics
The Basiscamp builds arithmetic skills step by step, from number sense and place value through mental arithmetic and the times tables to informal and formal written methods. For grade 2 there are worlds such as “Numbers to 100” and “Addition and subtraction to 100”, with sections such as “Tens and ones” and “Bridging ten”. An exercise only counts as completed when several tasks in a row are solved at the first attempt and without help. Anything that has not been practised for a while comes up again after some time.
If a child makes a mistake, the learning assistant Mazio helps directly within the task. He asks a question with answers to tap. In the units he also shows the help in a picture, up to a given partial step. He does not give the solution.
For the teacher, the Basiscamp evaluation shows for each area how many tasks were solved at the first attempt. “Back on the board” suggests the sub-worlds that are not yet secure. Under “Results”, the teacher sees where the class stands in the five content areas. Once a week, Mazio Math checks whether a common misconception is showing up in the class, for example “The carry is forgotten when bridging ten”. The support card explains the error with an example and suggests steps for lessons. You decide what goes on the board.
An example from the classroom: in a grade 2 class, the teacher puts the sub-world “Tens and ones” on the board and switches on “Compulsory”. At the same time, they work with a small group at a table using tens rods and ones cubes. At the end of the week, the Basiscamp evaluation shows them how many tasks were solved at the first attempt, and they use “Back on the board” to follow up on what is not yet secure.
What children learn in grades 1 and 2 and which content fits is set out on the page Maths in grades 1 and 2 (in German). Two typical hurdles are covered on the topic pages Bridging ten (in German) and Place value (in German). You can create an account by registering for free. Using Mazio Math with a class is currently available to schools in Germany. If your school is in another country, registration records your interest.
Frequently asked questions
How early can dyscalculia be recognised?
First signs often appear in grades 1 and 2. A diagnosis is usually only made when the difficulties persist despite support.
Is counting on fingers a warning sign?
Not at the start of grade 1. If a child is still relying on counting in grade 2, even for simple tasks, you should teach strategies in a targeted way.
Can an app give signs of dyscalculia?
Yes. A practice programme such as Mazio Math shows when errors with place value or bridging ten, for example, keep recurring, and offers suitable exercises. That is a good reason to take a closer look. Whether a child has dyscalculia is determined by specialists in a specialist assessment.