Graph Paper…
Graph Paper is an excellent tool for our kids at any stage, especially those who have Dyspraxia and/or Dyscalculia.
Image Credit: CHT-GSML
Many children with Dyspraxia have a hard time with fine motor control and writing. This means that sometimes their numbers get crowded, or not spaced and sized evenly. This can make solving math problems really hard.
For kids with Dyscalculia, number sense, place values, and basic math procedures can be hard to remember and comprehend. The visual organization and aid of graph paper can help eliminate some of the confusion of working with numbers and manipulating math problems.
Why Graph Paper Works:
It’s perfect for keeping numbers organized and neat.
The lines are a great visual aid.
Each number has a dedicated square and place.
Each square is a fixed size. This helps written numbers be consistent in size and spacing.
Numbers are written and copied straight horizontally and straight vertically.
Readability is improved!
It helps keep numbers in the right columns and rows
Graph lines help separate each number column and row.
Many different columns and rows are easily identifiable.
The numbers that make up a single column (or row) are clear and clearly grouped.
+, - , x , ÷, operations using “stack math”/algorithm method is better managed because the columns and rows stay organized.
Carrying and borrowing operations can be simpler. Tracking the column and number you need to “borrow from” or “add to” is more clear-cut.
It helps keep proper spacing for numbers and for math calculations.
Each square can hold space and be a place holder (in place of a number).
Each empty square can act as an invisible zero |‘0’ in front of whole numbers, after whole numbers, and after decimal places.
Working with money, empty squares can hold space for unwritten cents | ‘00’.
With multiplication and long division, empty squares help hold space and keep alignment and order during the math operation.
Place values are made clearer and easier to understand
Each square represents a single place value for each digit.
Each column represents a specific place value for the numbers within it.
Whole numbers, decimals, and money are better organized into their place values.
Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema
How My Family Used it:
In grade 3, when doing 2 or 3 digit addition and subtraction, my son often lost marks. This was not because he did the calculations incorrectly (he carried and borrowed perfectly), it was because he didn’t line up the numbers properly when copying them and writing down the answers. Eventually we realized that graph paper could help.
When numbers got larger and longer, graph paper was used in homework to help keep things clear and neat.
For multiplication and division of larger numbers, graph paper was helpful with the multi-step lines of answers with multiplication, and with bringing down digits in long division, and subsequent subtraction to find the answers.
Place values were a real struggle, and continue to be a struggle. Graph paper tried to help with solidifying the idea as best as possible.
Eventually, I communicated with his teachers to provide large squared graph paper to help him during testing. Our teacher was great and was happy to support him with this request.