When a child struggles noticeably with maths — while other subjects go fine — the question eventually comes up: is this an ordinary learning gap, or could there be more behind it? This checklist collects the signs professionals typically describe for dyscalculia (a specific learning disorder affecting numbers). One thing upfront: a checklist is not a test and not a diagnosis. It only helps decide whether a conversation with a pediatrician, school psychologist, or a specialised assessment service is worth having.
What dyscalculia is — and isn't
Dyscalculia describes a persistent, marked difficulty acquiring basic number sense and arithmetic skills that isn't explained by lack of practice, intelligence, or teaching quality. It typically affects number sense itself — not just individual calculation tricks — is described in the literature as its own specific learning disorder (comparable to dyslexia, but for numbers instead of letters), and is never diagnosed by parents, teachers, or an online checklist — only by professionals using standardised assessments.
A single bad maths report card, a dip after a long absence, or temporary uncertainty after changing schools is not, on its own, a sign of dyscalculia — those are ordinary, catch-up-able learning gaps.
The checklist: common signs in primary school
The more of these apply over a longer stretch of time (not just one bad week), the more worth having a professional conversation becomes:
- Still can't tell at a glance which of two numbers is bigger by grade 3/4, without counting it out.
- Still counts on fingers for simple addition/subtraction under 10, even after months of practice.
- Solves the same simple problem (e.g. 3+4) differently on different days — no recallable fact, re-counted from scratch each time.
- Regularly transposes digits when reading or writing (e.g. 17 and 71) well past the usual age for that.
- Struggles to grasp quantities intuitively — can't say 5 dots are more than 3 without counting both.
- Shows clearly more anxiety, avoidance, or frustration around maths than other subjects, despite comparable effort.
- Needs noticeably longer for maths homework than for similarly-sized reading or general-knowledge homework.
- Understands a method when it's explained, but can't repeat it on the very next similar problem — as if nothing stuck.
What this list can't do
This checklist describes observations, not test results. It can't distinguish dyscalculia from a temporary learning gap, concentration difficulties, vision problems, or simply too little practice — only a professional assessment can, usually through a child psychiatrist, a child psychology practice, a school psychological service, or a service specialising in dyscalculia. If a large share of this list holds true over several weeks, that conversation is the sensible next step — not more practice alone, and not this checklist by itself.
What Talentists can do if you're concerned — and what it can't
Talentists is not a diagnostic tool for dyscalculia and doesn't replace a professional assessment. What the free worksheets and the 5-minute check can show: exactly which primary-school topic (e.g. carrying over tens, times tables, written methods) a child is stuck on right now, with as many fresh practice variants as needed to build that base. That's useful for a child with an ordinary learning gap — but it doesn't replace the specifically-structured support of dyscalculia therapy where a real, assessed case is involved.