Unlocking Dyscalculia

A child stares at 8 + 7.Ten seconds pass. Then twenty. For many parents, this moment sparks a difficult question. Is my child struggling because they do not understand math, or because basic facts never became automatic? To unpack this, Heather Brand, Operations Manager at Made for Math, sat down with Dr. Brian Poncy, Professor and Director of the School Psychology Program at Oklahoma State Univer...

When we think about math struggles, we often picture multiplication facts, fractions, or word problems. But what if one of the most common misunderstandings begins much earlier, with a symbol students see every single day? In this installment of our Unlocking Dyscalculia series, Adrianne Meldrum welcomes back Dr. Sarah Powell from UT Austin to talk about something deceptively simple: the equal sig...

In this episode of Unlocking Dyscalculia, host Adrianne Meldrum sits down with Lorraine Hightower, a dyslexia advocate, consultant, and parent whose professional mission was shaped deeply by personal experience. Their conversation centers on advocacy—what it looks like, why it matters, and how parents and teachers can work together to better support students with learning differences. Parents ofte...

In this episode of the Unlocking Dyscalculia podcast, Heather Brand—our Operations Manager at Made for Math—sits down with two giants in the world of math education: Dr. John Mighton, founder of Jump Math, and Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, creator of Spring Math. Individually, each of them has reshaped how students learn mathematics. Now, they’re collaborating, and we get a behind-the-scenes look at ho...

In this episode of Unlocking Dyscalculia, Adrianne Meldrum, founder and CEO of MFM, and Heather Brand, Operations Manager, dive into a phrase many of us have heard—the science of learning. It’s become a buzzword in education, but what does it actually mean? More importantly, how does it apply to how children learn math? Looking for our Subitizing Cards? Check them out here: Subitizing Playing Card...

In this episode of Unlocking Dyscalculia, Heather Brand from Made for Math sits down with Alisa Dorman, President of Acadience Learning, to explore how curriculum-based measurement (CBM) tools can identify math learning challenges early—and help students thrive before frustration sets in. See more interviews referenced in this episode here: madeformath.com/unlocking-dyscalculia Subscribe to our Yo...

In a recent interview with Adrianne Meldrum, Nathaniel Hansford shared his journey as an educator, teaching across multiple countries and working with students with diverse needs. From classrooms in Korea to behavioral schools in England, Nathaniel’s experiences shaped not only his approach to teaching but also his understanding of how research informs educational practices. See more interviews re...

In this conversation, Adrianne Meldrum, CEO of Made for Math, sits down with Dr. Nathaniel Swain—teacher, instructional coach, researcher, and author of Harnessing the Science of Learning. Together, they dive into the fascinating intersections of language, cognition, and mathematics instruction. To read the full blog post and see interviews referenced in this video visit: https://madeformath.com/u...

Too often, math is treated as if it’s just one skill. People say things like, “I’m not a math person”—something you’d rarely hear someone say about reading. The truth is, being “good at math” is not an all-or-nothing talent you’re born with. Just like reading, math proficiency is made up of many connected skills that can be strengthened over time. In this episode of Unlocking Dyscalculia, Adrianne...

Unlocking Dyscalculia host Adrianne Meldrum sits down with Canadian researcher and evidence-informed learning designer Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva. Together, they sit down to explore one of the most persistent—and misleading—ideas in education: learning styles. You’ve probably heard it before (or even said it yourself): “I’m a visual learner,” or “My student needs kinesthetic learning.” But is there any tr...

In the latest episode of Unlocking Dyscalculia, Heather Brand sits down with educator and consultant Brendan Lee to explore what happens when a teacher steps outside the traditional path and rethinks how we reach students—especially those who struggle with math. Join us as we uncover common math myths and share practical strategies you can use with your students instead. To read the full blog post...

In this episode of Unlocking Dyscalculia, Adrianne Meldrum is joined by Dr. Zach Groshell—educator, researcher, and host of the Progressively Incorrect podcast. Zach shares powerful insights on how working memory, visuals, and carefully crafted instruction can make or break student learning—especially for those who struggle with math. We talk about the science of learning, the pitfalls of cluttere...

Welcome to our web series, Unlocking Dyscalculia! We have 25+ episodes all about dyscalculia, with new additions being recorded monthly. Recently, our CEO, Adrianne Meldrum, had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Clements to dive deeper into his groundbreaking research on learning trajectories, subitizing, and why early math education is more critical than ever. Connect with Dr. Douglas Clements: h...

In our latest episode of the Unlocking Dyscalculia series, CEO and Founder Adrianne Meldrum, along with Operations Manager Heather Brand, sit down with Dr. Jenni Back, an author, researcher, and retired mathematics consultant. Dr. Back has spent her career exploring effective ways to teach math, including the use of manipulatives to support student understanding. In this post, we explore the power...

In this episode of our Unlocking Dyscalculia series, Adrianne and Heather are joined by Dr. Sarah Powell, Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Powell shares her expertise in developing interventions for students with mathematics difficulties, focusing on peer tutoring, word-problem solving, math writing, and understanding the symbols...

What are some common problems that students face when trying to learn math facts? What are useful strategies for parents and teachers to help aid in math fact mastery? Tune in to this enlightening conversation between Made for Math's CEO, Adrianne Meldrum, and Assistant Professor, Corey Peltier, as they discuss math fact fluency and The Science of Math. Connect with Corey: Email coreypeltier@ou.ed...

Welcome to our web series, Unlocking Dyscalculia! We have 25+ episodes all about dyscalculia, with new additions being recorded monthly. In this video, Adrianne Meldrum, our CEO, sits down with the brilliant authors Giannis Karagiannakis and Marie-Pascale Noël to discuss their groundbreaking book "Effective Teaching Strategies for Dyscalculia and Learning Difficulties in Mathematics." Discover val...

In this video, Made for Math's CEO, Adrianne Meldrum, connects with Author and Early-Years Teacher, Bridget Mather-Scott, and her son Will to talk about their book, Gary and Maths. This children's book shows the struggles that many students with dyslexia and dyscalculia face in mathematics. Buy your copy of Gary and Maths here: https://amzn.to/45LB1WH Get your copy of Ollie-O'clock here: https://a...

Join us for an insightful discussion on supporting students in numeracy with Made for Math's CEO, Adrianne Meldrum, and Operations Manager, Heather Brand. We are thrilled to have the esteemed Dr. Eugenie Kestel as our special guest! Join us for an enriching conversation about online vs. in-person intervention and strategies to effectively teach math facts to students with learning disabilities. Co...

In this video, Made for Math's CEO Adrianne Meldrum and owner of Dyslexia Solutions Karee Atkinson have an enlightening conversation about getting creative when finding funding for your child's tutoring needs. Tune in to hear ways to advocate for your child with a learning disability and how to secure the financials to do so. See more interviews referenced in this episode and resources here: https...

Welcome to our web series, Unlocking Dyscalculia! We have 18 episodes all about dyscalculia. In this video, Made for Math's CEO Adrianne Meldrum and Professor Brian Butterworth discuss working memory, number sense, and subitizing. You'll hear an insightful conversation about navigating dyscalculia research and translating that knowledge into something useful for teachers and parents. They explore...

In this video, you'll learn from Professor Mahesh C. Sharma about his method of teaching students a concept he refers to as Sight Facts. These facts are taught in a way using inherent processes all humans are born with. Come learn more about Sight Facts here:https://madeformath.com/sight-facts-s... Visit Professor Sharma's website here:https://mathematicsforall.org/

Dr. Yan Ping Xin, researcher, and COMPS creator, joins MFM CEO Adrianne Meldrum to answer this question: Why are word problems so tricky for students with dyscalculia? Sit in on this insightful conversation! Want to check out Dr. Xin's Conceptual Model Based Problem Solving program? Head to Springer to pick up the book: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789... Connect with Dr. Xin here:https://www...

What are the challenges in diagnosing dyscalculia? What is the Feifer Assessment of Mathematics (FAM)?How is it best used? How are diagnostics created? Sit it on this 42-minute discussion between Steven Feifer, creator of the FAM, and Made for Math's CEO Adrianne Meldrum. Want to check out the assessment for yourself? It's currently available through Par Inc. https://www.parinc.com/Products/Pkey/1...

In this video, Adrianne Meldrum shares some of her favorite resources for helping people with dyscalculia. Explore more below. Links to books coming soon! See more interviews referenced in this episode and resources here:https://madeformath.com/unlocking-dys....You can subscribe to our YouTube channel for more awesomeness: https://www.youtube.com/@MadeforMathFollow us on Facebook: / madeformath&nb...