Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects the acquisition of numerical skills. A far larger number of pupils, while not dyscalculic, fail to acquire the basic numerical skills required for everyday life.

Whatever the cause of poor numeracy it is essential that these difficulties are identified and addressed. This book looks at how adults can help identify each child's specific areas of difficulty and describes a multi-sensory approach that can be adapted for the needs of each student to help them better understand numbers and apply that understanding to solve problems. It covers the origins of number sense and how the brain deals with numbers, assessment, planning intervention, what to teach and how to teach it, and how parents can help their children.

This straightforward guide will be essential reading for any parent, teacher or education professional working with a child with dyscalculia or numeracy difficulties.

Patricia Babtie has taught children and adults with maths learning difficulties since 1998. She is particularly interested in devising ways to make SEN interventions easier to integrate into the classroom, and in developing ways to engage parents. Jane Emerson is Director of Emerson House, a renowned centre for dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia, in London. She is a speech and language therapist with more than 25 years' experience of working with primary age children. She lectures widely and is recognised as a leader in the field of identifying and teaching children with specific learning difficulties. Jane has run a dyscalculia training course for teachers and SENCOs for several years. Both authors live in London.

Part I. The Origins of Number Sense and How the Brain Deals with Numbers. Part II. Assessment. Part III. Planning Intervention. Part IV. Teaching - What to Teach and How to Teach It. Part V. How Parents can Help their Children.