Q
My stepdaughter has learning disabilities in reading and math. She's made good progress in reading, but her math skills are still lacking. She constantly complains that she doesn't even understand the terms used in math. I'd like to know what I could do to help her. She's 12 and still can't count change. I'm concerned about where she should be by now. What can we do?
A
The best resource I can suggest for teaching your child is Nancy S. Bley and Carol A. Thornton's book, Teaching Mathematics to Students with Learning Disabilities. The book addresses a full range of difficulties students' encounter, from basic math concepts to everyday skills related to time and money. The key to teaching kids who have difficulties with math concepts is hands-on instruction using real-world materials. Bley and Thornton will give you a good guide to helping your child with this challenging subject.