Discovering Dyscalculia | The Podcast

About Discovering Dyscalculia | The Podcast

Discovering Dyscalculia | The Podcast is a resource and support for those with a learning disability in math. Author, dyscalculia consultant, and parent Laura M. Jackson, shares engaging interviews, monthly newsletters, and her own personal journey of supporting a child with this little-known learning disability.

Publisher

Laura M Jackson

Category

education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Nov 2023

Latest episode

18 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Aug 2026

   Email Templates, Fractions, Percentages, Digital Tool | March 2026 News

   This is your Discovering Dyscalculia monthly newsletter with the latest in dyscalculia awareness, education, and support. In this month’s issue: Recommendation for Teaching Resources Email Template for Parents + Template Poll Digital Tool for Fractions, Decimals, Percentages Latest Writing Pieces on Dyscalculia The Book’s 4th Anniversary A Recommendation for Teaching Resources This past year I joined Made for Math’s new CRA Club (https://madeformath.com/cra-club/) (stands for Concrete, Representational, Abstract). I needed help with the next steps of instruction for a dyscalculic student I am working with. We were ready to tackle Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages, however, my favorite dyscalculia authors and educators did not have the best teaching tools for these topics. So I joined The CRA Club and am so grateful I did! It’s been a wealth of information and support, both on dyscalculia, and also how other learning disabilities impact math understanding. What I appreciate about the club: A terrific Base Camp section to get a solid overview of how to teach for dyscalculia. Easily accessible sections for specific topics that include videos, worksheets, reference sheets, and more. Twice monthly coaching calls where you can submit a question and they will walk it through with you live at the session, or you can watch the replays. I had a specific question and Heather spent 20 minutes walking me through options for instruction. The CRA Club has more information than I have time to take in, and what I have received has been worth the membership cost! I highly recommend this resource for any tutor, teacher, or parent who is working with dyscalculic learners or students struggling in math. Learn more about the CRA Club here. (https://madeformath.com/cra-club/) My Current Writing on Dyscalculia Here are some of my latest written pieces on dyscalculia. Each article is written by me (not AI). Your paid subscription to this content enables me to do this ongoing dyscalculia work and help support my family financially. How to Write an Email to Teachers about Your Child’s Learning Disability (https://discoveringdyscalculia.substack.com/p/how-to-write-an-email-to-teachers) Every school year I dreaded writing an email to my daughter’s teachers informing them of her learning disability. In this post I share 3 tips for making it easier, plus an email template you can use. Teaching Strategy: Focus on Understanding Instead of Procedures. (https://discoveringdyscalculia.substack.com/p/teaching-strategy-2-focus-on-teaching)Contrary to how most math is taught in school, dyscalculic learners need math instruction that helps them to understand math concepts before teaching how to calculate and solve. Read more in this article. Begin with the Foundations of Math - it’s going back further than you think. (https://discoveringdyscalculia.substack.com/p/teaching-strategy-1-begin-with-the) This is the most important teaching strategy for supporting dyscalculic learners. Let’s talk about what the foundations are. Email Template for Parents This past year I sent out a poll asking what types of resources you all would like. Many of you requested email templates for communicating with schools. I have written my first template for you, which is an initial email to send to all teachers at the beginning of the year, or when you have a new diagnosis. This template can easily be modified to include additional or alternative learning disabilities, or your middle or high school student can modify it to send to their teachers.Download Template in this Post (https://discoveringdyscalculia.substack.com/p/how-to-write-an-email-to-teachers) This downloadable PDF resource can be accessed in Substack as a paid subscriber. Want more templates? Please fill out this poll to let me know what other templates would be helpful for you! What Email Templates Would Be Helpful to You? To Employers To Drivers Education Instructors To History and Science Teachers To Coaches To School, Accommodation Request Digital Tool for Fractions, Decimals, Percentages I mentioned that I’ve joined Made for Math’s CRA Club to help me with teaching the concepts of fractions, decimals, and percentages for a dyscalculic student I work with. After creating a deeper understanding of these concepts, we are now learning how to use a digital tool to help my student make these same calculations in the faster-paced classroom and for everyday life. This tool is the DysCalculator App. One feature that I love is that the DysCalculator can translate between fractions, decimals, and percentages easily in one button. To figure out the decimal and percentage for one half: enter 1/2 using the fraction button, then [EQUALS]. The DysCalculator will give you the percentage and decimal that are equal to one half, including a helpful visual for the fraction. It can also be used the other way around, enter 50%, then = and it will tell you the fraction and decimal equivalent to 50%. For those of you who are concerned students will not learn how to correctly compute these, I understand your concern. And I agree it’s critical for students to understand the concept and how to calculate with fractions, decimals, and percentages. But after that is solid, and especially as these students are navigating the school classroom and everyday life, it’s important they have a tool like the DysCalculator App at their fingertips to lessen anxiety and help them quickly compute. DysCalculator App Website (https://dyscalculator.app/) My Book’s 4th Anniversary This month was the 4th year anniversary of my book’s publication. I continue to hear from you all how helpful it has been for navigating your child’s, or your student’s, or your own dyscalculia journey. I also hear from parents of children with other learning disabilities that this book has helped them with the school system and their feelings about their child’s learning disability. If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend picking up a copy, and consider an additional copy to share with family member or educator. I’m honored to hear how the book is helping families, educators, students, and adults from all around the world. Thank you also to those of you who help to spread the word by leaving your positive reviews on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=reviews-product&asin=1737516128). Thank you! Listen to the Introduction here: Listen or Read Introduction Here (https://discoveringdyscalculia.substack.com/p/the-book-introduction) Join me on Substack This monthly newsletter is now hosted on Substack, an online newsletter platform. Substack was created for writers like me who are not fans of Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. You can receive this free monthly newsletter in your email inbox, or receive extra resources and support as a paid subscriber, including: Exclusive content. Twice a month, receive a personal email post from me with a downloadable PDF, audio recording, email template, or guidance, Community and connection. Ask questions, leave comments, or respond to myself and others about the dyscalculia articles. Full archives of dyscalculia resources. Access all the resources in past newsletters and exclusive content posts. Your paid subscription enables me to provide ongoing dyscalculia resources while providing financially for my family. I am so grateful for your support and commitment to spreading dyscalculia awareness, education, and support. Discovering Dyscalculia website (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com) Sign up for my Monthly Newsletter for dyscalculia awareness, education, and support here. (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/community)

2. 

   18 Aug 2026

   5 Inaccurate Assumptions Parents Can Make

   5 Inaccurate Assumptions Parents Can Make Parents want to support their dyscalculic students in the best possible ways. Yet even with the best intentions, most of us can make inaccurate assumptions about our student and what they need. I assumed many inaccurate things about my daughter and her learning disability. As parent, we may not fully understand dyscalculia and the impact it has on learning and life. These inaccurate beliefs can have a negative impact over time. Now, 9+ years into our dyscalculia exploration, I can see how inaccurate and unhelpful these assumptions were and how a better understanding of dyscalculia has helped our family support our dyscalculic daughter in life-changing ways. Here are 5 common, and inaccurate, assumptions parents can make about their dyscalculic children. Inaccurate Assumption #1: My student would be fine if they would just apply themselves and focus. I remember being frustrated when my daughter would struggle to focus on flashcards or get her homework done efficiently. The tasks didn’t seem too complicated to me. I wished she would just apply herself and get it done. But more focus and applying herself were not what was required for her to grasp concepts or complete the work. My encouragement of “try harder” and “focus” only caused exhaustion, stress, and shut down her brain’s capacity to learn. Inaccurate Assumption #2: The school will know how to support my student. This is one that most parents make, including myself. After surviving the school evaluation process and enrolling in special education, I assumed my daughter would receive the support she needed from trained math specialists and special education teachers. I was wrong. This inaccurate assumption led us to waiting 2+ years before starting the right supports and intervention. We tried two public schools in two districts, interviewed several private schools, signed up for every extra after-school math support available, had an IEP for 2+ years, and still my daughter did not make any progress in math comprehension. This is a common experience I hear from many families. Families assume the school will know how to support a student with dyscalculia and so they rely on the school to set up appropriate education and accommodations. But what they don’t know is that teachers are not trained on how to identify students with dyscalculia, nor how to provide the necessary math intervention required for student success. Even most special education teachers in the US do not receive training on dyscalculia. It is understandable that we parents would assume the school will know how to help, but sadly this is an inaccurate assumption. Inaccurate Assumption #3: Repetition of concepts such as drills, flashcards, worksheets, and memorization will help my student learn. While these are common methods for neurotypical students, these methods are unsuccessful for dyscalculic students. Math comprehension and recall of math facts does not happen for dyscalculics through rote, drills, or constant repetition. An understanding of dyscalculia is needed to help parents know to how to help dyscalculic students successfully grasp math concepts. Support must also be in place for the memory issues that accompany dyscalculia. Inaccurate Assumption #4: Any math tutor or math program is better than none. Almost all evaluation reports from psychologists encourage parents to get a math tutor. Most parents I consult with have already tried math tutors or have enrolled their students in math support programs. I tried this as well in the beginning with my own daughter, While this seems reasonable, hiring just any math tutor can cause more harm than good. Even if the tutor is warm and patient, if they do not understand the unique difficulties of dyscalculia or have not received adequate training on how to help dyscalculic students, the work can set a student back even further. When a student is receiving tutoring support, and still struggling, they begin to lose confidence in their abilities and become more discouraged, believing that even with help they are hopeless at math. They don’t realize that the “help” they are receiving is not the specific support their dyscalculic mind’s needs to succeed at math. Inaccurate Assumption #5: My student just needs to make it through math in school and they will be fine. I too thought, “We just need to get my daughter through elementary and middle school math class. Then she can use a calculator.” That was before I understood all the areas of everyday life that dyscalculia impacts. Simply getting our students through school is not a helpful goal. Dyscalculics need help building numeracy skills and a foundational sense for number they can successfully apply to everyday life. If not, they will feel limited in their life choices and may experience significant anxiety as a result. They need understanding of how their mind works, self-advocacy skills, and practical tools to navigate jobs, money, time, and anything in life involving numbers. (Spend a few minutes reading any Reddit posts on dyscalculia and you will see the difficult impact of those who did not receive adequate supports growing up). Becoming better informed about dyscalculia helps us see the areas we need to provide supports and creative out-of-the-box solutions. I can’t say this enough: dyscalculia does not only impact math class, it impacts anything in life involving numbers, quantities, and amounts. Question for Further Thought Do any of these assumptions sound familiar to you? If so, which ones?Please share which ones resonate in the comments below! Your dyscalculia advocate and guide, Laura M. Jackson This article was published on the Discovering Dyscalculia Blog here: https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/blog/5-inaccurate-assumptions-about-dyscalculia (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/blog/5-inaccurate-assumptions-about-dyscalculia) New to Discovering Dyscalculia? I’m Laura M. Jackson, parent, author, and dyscalculia specialist supporting families, educators, students, and adults in their journey with dyscalculia. I write and speak for dyscalculia awareness, education, and support on Substack and at DiscoveringDyscalculia.com (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/). Looking for further dyscalculia support and resources? 🧭 Book a 1:1 dyscalculia consult call (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/consulting) 📖 Read my book (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/book) 🧑💻 Check out the Discovering Dyscalculia website (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/) Discovering Dyscalculia website (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com) Sign up for my Monthly Newsletter for dyscalculia awareness, education, and support here. (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/community)

3. 

   18 Aug 2026

   Our Story Exploring Math for Dyscalculia

   I am deviating from my usual monthly newsletter format to share more of our family’s story with you. Most of the early days of our dyscalculia journey I detailed in my book (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/book). But I wrote that five years ago, and so much has happened in that time. I have shared this part of my story with some of you in consultations and speaking engagements, but I wanted to share it with this community here in Substack. This is the story of how my daughter and I explored math together at home, navigated middle school and high school math, and where we find ourselves now in this adventure. Teaching my dyscalculic daughter math at home was not something I thought possible, especially through the middle school years. This was a decision I made out of desperation, not a dream or desire. This is the story of how I ended up teaching math, and the surprising success we experienced. Special Education Begins | 4th and 5th Grade In fourth grade, after receiving a math learning disability diagnosis, I figured the school would know how to teach a student with this challenge. The school established an IEP (individual education program) for my daughter. I remember filling out form after form, completely unsure about the confusing language on types of supports, learning objectives, and accommodations. I simply assumed the school knew what my daughter needed to succeed in math. My daughter began receiving pull-out help from the special education teacher, a couple of times a week in a small group. She also received accommodations in the classroom like a multiplication chart, and access to a teacher aid for questions. I was hopeful these supports would be enough for my daughter’s math struggles. Yet, as the weeks went on, I slowly came to realize that the school didn’t know how to help students with a math learning disability. There was no specific program or curriculum in place to help students with dyscalculia, no understanding of it, and no teacher training. Even the special education teacher had not received any university training for this learning disability. It was devastating to realize that no one at the school had any idea how to teach this bright kid with a math learning disability. I spent hours searching online for curriculum and programs, comparing my findings with the special education teacher. We both couldn’t find clear answers on how to teach math for dyscalculia. We found only a hodge-podge of books, with no clear way forward. I was discouraged, realizing that support for my daughter’s math education, was only just beginning. That fourth grade year, and all through fifth grade, I witnessed my daughter struggle her way through special education math, making no progress in her math understanding. She became more discouraged and anxious. Now, even with “help,” she still didn’t have any grasp of basic math concepts. New School and New IEP | 6th Grade The following year we tried a new school, in a new district, with the promise of a separate math class and help five days a week. But one month into her 6th grade year, the hope of learning math in this new setting was shattered. My daughter was once again stressed, anxious, dreading math class, and spending hours after school slogging through math homework. The special education teacher was not open to collaborating or trying any of the new methods I was finding in my research on dyscalculia. It was clear she didn’t know how to help either. At this point I knew we needed to do something drastically different. I didn’t feel equipped or prepared to take on my daughter’s math learning. But I did not want to waste another year without any math progress. My investigation ramped up and I read every book I could find on teaching for dyscalculia. Since I couldn’t find adequate dyscalculia math resources in the US, I turned to researchers and educators in the UK who seemed to have a better grasp of the subject. With these new resources to try, I pulled my daughter from 6th grade math class, to explore math together at home. My daughter began with math class at home in the morning, then I would drive her to school for the rest of the day. Building Number-Sense | 6th, 7th, 8th Grade I didn’t know how long we would do math at home. It ended up being for three years, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. During this time, we explored a new way of learning math. And most importantly we worked to help my daughter develop a better sense for numbers and quantity. I was surprised to see first-hand all the concepts she did not grasp, math concepts I assumed everyone innately knew. I could more clearly see why math at school had been so difficult. And it was exciting to see her make new connections about numbers, experience new ways to explore quantities, and to shed that anxiety and confusion that had been a part of her life for so long. It was slow, developmental work that couldn’t be rushed or forced. As we looked ahead to my daughter’s transition to high school, she wanted what she called “the high school experience.” Math at home with mom was not part of the image a now 15-year-old wanted for high school. And she was tired of explaining to her peers why she wasn’t at school for the full day. That summer before 9th grade, I met with the school and showed them the dyscalculia math books we had worked through. One teacher looked at me with her eyebrows raised skeptically, “You know this material only goes through fourth grade, right?” I was aware. But it was all foundational numeracy skills my daughter never mastered before, and now she had. The High School Experience | 9th - 12th Grade With my daughter determined to attend high school full time, I figured we could always pull her out of Algebra later and continue at home if needed. So, with new accommodations, a smaller classroom, and a flexible teacher, my daughter took her newly developed numeracy understanding and applied them to Algebra class. My daughter and I were both surprised as the year went on. She was hardly ever stressed about homework, received “As” on most of her exams and quizzes, and even helped struggling peers with their homework. I did not expect this kind of success! I had mentally prepared for hours of helping her after school, many after-school teacher meetings, and her just barely making it through with the same anxiety and stress we had experienced in elementary school. Even my daughter was surprised at the difference. Now, the dyscalculia and math struggles had not gone away. She was still very dyscalculic. We were still uncovering the many struggles with number and quantity in other school subjects, as well as many aspects of daily life. What was new was the better self-understanding she had for her unique experience with numbers. She had language and new visuals for quantities to help her when things were confusing. Many times, she did not understand the teacher’s instruction in class, so she would put on her headphones and draw out the visuals she had learned to help her grasp the math concepts. She ended the year with an A in algebra. We were shocked. The following school year, an A in geometry. She became her own peer advocate, giving questionnaires to friends struggling in math to help them determine if the struggles were because of dyslexia, or perhaps dyscalculia like her. Several peers reached out to her for help. I remember hearing her on the phone with a friend, asking them questions, and helping them think through their difficulties in math to determine if they might also have a learning disability. A Way Forward My daughter has commented to me many times over the past few years, just how lost she would still be without those years exploring dot patterns and digging into early number sense together. If you’ve read my book, you’ve read the letter she wrote to another struggling student about this time of learning a new way. If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to get a copy. It’s encouraging to any student on a similar journey of developing numeracy later in life. This kind of intensive math learning does not make the dyscalculia go away. My daughter will always experience numbers and quantity differently than most of her friends and society around her. She will always need to self-advocate and find her own solutions with tasks involving number and quantity. We are continually becoming more aware of the impact dyscalculia has on other areas of daily life – time, money, dates, memory, driving, cooking… the list continues to grow. But we also understand dyscalculia so much better now, so we are better able to make pivots, provide adequate supports, and know when and where our daughter will need specific help. Learning this way has also done so much for her mental and emotional health, growing her confidence and self-advocacy, and acceptance of herself. I’m not saying it’s been easy. I have had many frustrating, exasperated, and overwhelmed moments. My daughter has too. There are highs and there are lows, just like all of life’s complicated journeys. I am grateful for the help, guidance, and support we have received along the way. We will continue to lean into those supports ourselves, as we are still very much on the journey. My daughter is now finishing her senior year of high school, and enrolled in the honors program at her first-choice university for next year. I could never have imagined this all was possible years ago, given our start of her crying in 3rd grade and asking me, “Mommy, am I stupid?” There is no recipe for an unexpected experience like this. Every student is different and has their own challenges and unique circumstances to work through. But I want to encourage you that it is possible to support dyscalculic students in tangible and life-changing ways. It’s also possible to teach math in a way that these students can connect with and translate to everyday life. Supporting a loved one with dyscalculia is a process, a journey, a continued exploration. It helps to embrace the long-term reality and settle in for the adventure of it. Your fellow parent in the journey, Laura Jackson If you want to hear more about the details of our dyscalculia math learning experience, join me in Substack where I am posting a series of articles and audio recordings detailing the teaching strategies, books, tools, and accommodations we explored. You’ll find these in the Guide to Math Education for Dyscalculia section on the main page. New to Discovering Dyscalculia? I’m Laura M. Jackson, parent, author, and dyscalculia specialist supporting families, educators, students, and adults in their journey with dyscalculia. I write and speak for dyscalculia awareness, education, and support here on Substack and on DiscoveringDyscalculia.com (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/). I am honored to be on this journey with you. Discovering Dyscalculia website (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com) Sign up for my Monthly Newsletter for dyscalculia awareness, education, and support here. (https://discoveringdyscalculia.com/community)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

17,128

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

30

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

Contact Discovering Dyscalculia | The Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  What in the world is dyscalculia?

• 

  The ADHD Guys Podcast

• 

  ADHD Experts Podcast

• 

  Up First

• 

  This American Life

• 

  The Daily

Questions about Discovering Dyscalculia | The Podcast