I surprised myself yesterday.I have always struggled with math concepts and strategies and as a child diagnosed with LD/Dyslexia I was also diagnosed with Dyscacluila. Dycalculia is a LD that has to do with numbers and math.

My daughter who has LD is a 6th grader in middle school, She is in a regular math class that is a CWC class with in a class meaning there is a regular teacher and a special education teacher who teach the class together.

My daughter was home sick from school yesterday.Her math teacher sends emails when there is home work with the home work attatched.We really enjoy this math teacher-she is awesome. So I find the email and print the attachment so she can do the home work assignment. She tries to understand it on her own. She gets frustrated. Then asks her brother for help who learns and understands math very differently than her and that doesn’t help. I know  her dad who usually helps her with her math won’t be home until late and will be leaving for a boy scout meeting shortly after.So I offer to try to help her( I havent been confident in being able to help her with math home work since she was in third grade mind you).This is where I surprised my self. So this is what the math was- Turning and improper fraction into a mixed number.Sounded like an alien language to me. I havent had to do any type of fractions on paper in  many years decades even.

Here is the example that was given

the fraction 11/3 is really 11 divided by 3.3 will go into 11 3 full times with 2 left over so 11/3 becomes 3 and 2/3

Still looks like an alien language that is beyond me but I know we are in a limited situation here. My daughter missed a day of school right before the end of the trister and has 2 days to finish all make up work in all classes so waiting isn’t a good option.

So I pull out the scrap paper and markers and ask her to give me a few problems to try to see if I can understand how to figure out what is common about the math problems.I still can’t believe that by the third problem I figured it out.I am still in shock.. I learned a long time ago that using different colored sharpies/ makers helps me visually figure out and remember what I write down.With math problems it makes things clearer and less confusing.

For most people  it wouldn’t be a big deal but for me it was HUGE.Not only did I figure it out but I was able to show my daughter how I figured it out through story telling. That is how I have always helped my kids with their homework.I explained it by saying that the numbers had to move to different locations/houses  to get a long and do their job effectively and she got it she understood what I meant! Even better when her dad got home she was able to tell him all about our math adventure and that she had completed her math homework!

So I came to the conclusion that you really can learn something new every day if you are willing to try.I also learned that you can teach an old dog(or mom like me with LD) new tricks.

I must say I am very grateful for that realization because it gives me hope.