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Maths Programme

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Introduction to Maths Programme

The DAS Maths Programme aims to effectively support students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences and those students without a diagnosis* who have persistent difficulties with mathematics. 

* A diagnosis of a specific learning difference is no longer a prerequisite. We have now opened our doors to struggling learners, whether they have a formal diagnosis of a learning difference or not.  To access our programmes all students will undergo profiling tests, a simple step to ensure they are placed in a class that suits their learning needs best. We’re dedicated to providing tailored support to every child, empowering them to reach their full potential.

We hope for all our learners to gain confidence in their mathematical abilities by helping them to experience small steps of success.The programme is designed to cater to students with dyslexia. We adopt dyslexia-friendly principles to ensure that learning remains relevant and suitable for our students.

How Dyslexia affects Maths?

Does your child show the following?

  • Difficulty understanding Maths concepts
  • Difficulty reading word problems
  • Understanding what the Maths problem means
  • Difficulty identifying what the question wants him/her to find
  • Remembering his/her times’ tables even though you have taught it many times
  • Difficulty following the events in word problems
  • Difficulty doing calculations that involve more than 1 step

About us

We are a team of Maths Educational Therapists who are trained in specific learning differences and teaching Mathematics at the Primary level.

We have at least 2 years of teaching experience under the Main Literacy Programme (MLP) before specialising in Maths. All our teachers possess the following qualifications:
1. Certificate in Supporting SpLD Learners in Mathematics 
2. Professional Certificate Course in Numeracy

Who do we support?

We support all Primary school students with a diagnosis of dyslexia and other specific learning differences as well as students who struggle learning maths who attend MOE primary schools in Singapore.

We also support students who are attending school-based dyslexia remediation (SBDR) in their schools but have yet to receive a formal diagnosis of dyslexia.

The DAS Maths programme will support struggling learners those who do not have a diagnosis of a specific learning difference is no longer a prerequisite. We have now opened our doors to struggling learners, whether they have a formal diagnosis of a learning difference or not.  To access our programmes all students will undergo profiling tests, a simple step to ensure they are placed in a class that suits their learning needs best. We’re dedicated to providing tailored support to every child, empowering them to reach their full potential.

Our Curriculum

The students in the DAS Maths Programme are diverse in their mathematical ability.
To support all of these students, we have three (3) main curricula:

  1. Essential Maths
  2. Problem Sums for Upper Primary
  3. Secondary 1 (G1 ) Maths

Our curriculum is structured around the latest MOE Primary and Secondary 1 Maths Syllabus.

View all programme fees here

How is the DAS Maths Programme different from other tuition agencies?

Our programme is an intervention programme designed for students with dyslexia and those students who struggle to learn. Our educational therapists specifically design lessons that customise to the needs of our students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. And now students who struggle to learn the foundation of Maths.

Lessons are interactive and engaging as students get to touch and move our classroom materials to help them understand Maths better. We also bring in strategies they learn from our Main Literacy Programme (MLP) to help our students understand the language used in maths.

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Teaching Approach

1. Orton-Gillingham Approach

Language-based

We cover the meaning of Math terms in detail and use comprehension strategies to help students understand the structure of sentences in word problems.
Direct Instruction Teachers give short instructions that are to the point to help students understand what they are supposed to do.
Cognitive We do not feed students answers; we help them explore and find out the answers for themselves.
Diagnostic & Prescriptive We identify our students’ strengths and weaknesses before teaching them. In our teaching, we focus on the concepts that they need more help with.
Structure, Cumulative & Sequential Our curriculum is arranged from easy to difficult. We help students to bridge any gaps in their learning so that they can work towards the more challenging concepts at their school level.
Emotionally Sound We are sensitive to your child’s learning needs and pace and try not to push them way beyond their limit.

2. Concrete-Representational-Abstract Approach (C-R-A)

1. Concrete Stage Physical objects are used to help students experience the concept in real life. For example, to show 3 ÷ 1/3, we use fraction circles to show 3 wholes and get students to see how many times they can fit 1/3 to make 3 wholes.
2. Representational Stage Pictures are used to represent the objects in the same problem. This helps students to reduce their dependence on objects to solve the problem.
3. Abstract Stage Students can now draw on their understanding of the Concrete and Representational stages to help them solve the problem.

 3. Polya’s Problem-Solving Process

1. Understand the Problem

Students are taught comprehension strategies to help them make sense of the problem. We also make the problems visual for the students by getting them to show us what is happening using bar models or real-world objects.

2. Come up with a Plan

Teachers and students discuss the steps needed to solve the problem. If a new strategy is needed to solve the problem, the teacher will demonstrate how the new strategy works.

3. Solve the Problem

Students work through the steps systematically to solve the problem.

4. Check the Solution

Students are taught a strategy to check that their answers are accurate and make sense.

4. Try-Share-Learn-Apply Approach

This approach helps students walk through the problem-solving process in a collaborative and interactive setting. First, they try to solve a problem on their own, and they then share it with their peers. Our Educational Therapist will draw out key features and a suggested method to solve the problem, and students would then apply it to their learning.

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Maths Programme Types

The DAS Maths Programme is open to students who experience persistent difficulties in maths, whether they have a formal diagnosis or not. This approach recognizes that learning difficulties may not always fit neatly into a specific diagnosis but still require tailored support.
Email us at [email protected] and we can advice you further!

ESSENTIAL MATHS

The Essential Maths Curriculum was developed to help students who are struggling to cope with Maths at the school level.

essential maths 01

What we cover in Essential Maths

Curriculum Components Description

Conceptual Understanding

We teach your child how to understand the concepts in Maths.

Procedural Proficiency

We help your child to master his/her addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and times tables.
Mathematical Communication Table DataWe teach your child how to write his/her steps in a way that is clear for teachers to understand. We also encourage students to share his/her steps on how to solve a problem clearly.
Reading Comprehension We introduce reading comprehension skills into Maths to help him/her understand word problems better.
Thinking Skills & Heuristics In Maths, we also teach skills like comparing, sequencing, identifying relationships and patterns, etc. These are important skills used not only in Maths but also in Science and other aspects of life.

Our Classes

Our lessons are conducted weekly, 1 hour per lesson. Our class sizes are kept small (maximum 4 in each class) so that our teachers can have enough time with each student. We also ensure that the students in each class are of similar ability, so that we can cover as much content with everyone as possible.

View all programme fees here 

Secondary 1 G1 Maths Short-Term Programme
(1-hour)

Bursary is available for Short Term Programmes for both DAS and non-DAS students with a diagnosis of dyslexia.

The Secondary 1 G1 Maths programme is designed specifically for Secondary 1 students taking the G1 Maths syllabus to support them in their transition to secondary school mathematics. This programme aims to help students acquire the concepts, mathematical vocabulary and skills covered in the MOE Secondary 1 G1 Maths syllabus. With concrete experiences and real-life applications, students will be able to relate to abstract mathematical concepts better. This will provide them with the needed groundwork in Secondary 1.

This programme is now a one-year programme and is available from Term 1 to Term 4. After which, students will be considered to have completed the Secondary 1 G1 Maths STP. Do not wait because slots are limited. 

Start Date
Jan 2024

Duration
10 sessions x 1 hour
per week each term

Entry Criteria
Sec 1 students taking G1 Maths

Fees

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Location
• Bishan Learning Centre (BJ8)
• Chua Chu Kang Learning Centre (CCK)
• Henderson Learning Centre (PWP)
• Jurong Point Learning Centre (SKG)
• Sengkang Learning Centre (SRN)
• Tampines Learning Centre (TPN)
• Woodlands Learning Centre (WDL)

For more info, please email [email protected] or call 6444 5700 (Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm)

PROBLEM SUMS FOR UPPER PRIMARY

The Problem Sums for Upper Primary (PSUP) Curriculum was developed to help students in Primary 5 Standard or Primary 6 Standard who already are strong in their math concepts, but continue to show difficulties with understanding and solving word problems.


PSUP 02

What we cover in Problem Sums for Upper Primary

Curriculum Components Description
Challenging Word Problem Types We identify challenging word problem types in each topic and teach students how to use reading comprehension skills to understand the problems better, and how to use heuristic strategies to solve the problems.
Heuristic Strategies Strategies such as Guess and Check, Making Suppositions, Systematic Listing, etc. are broken down and taught clearly to the students. We teach students how to identify when to use each of these strategies to solve their word problems.
Mathematical Communication We give students the opportunity to share with his/her classmates and teacher the thinking process that he/she goes through to solve a problem clearly.
Reading Comprehension We introduce reading comprehension skills into Maths to help him/her understand word problems better.

Our Classes

Our lessons are conducted weekly, 1 hour per lesson. Our class sizes are kept small (maximum 4 in each class) so that our teachers can have enough time with each student and each student will have the opportunity to share his/her knowledge. We also ensure that the students in each class are of similar ability so that we can cover as much content with everyone as possible.

View all programme fees here 

P5 PROBLEM SUMS SHORT TERM PROGRAMME
FOR 2023 TERM 1

Bursary is available for Short Term Programmes for both DAS and non-DAS students with a diagnosis of dyslexia.

2023SESMathsSTP 01Copy

The P5 Problem Sums for Upper Primary (PSUP) curriculum is a Short-Term Programme (10 lessons per term) that aims to meet the needs of Primary 5 students who are firm with their basic mathematical concepts but require appropriate strategies to help them understand, plan, and solve higher order word problems, which is an integral component in the school mathematics syllabus.

In each term, we will cover some of the challenging word problem types that will appear in the topics students will be learning in school. Our teaching methodology utilises a combination of Polya’s 4-step processes, the Concrete-Representational-Abstract approach (C-R-A) and our in-house Try-Share-Learn-Apply approach. 

Entry Criteria
P5 students taking Standard Maths

FEES
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Location
Our P5 PSUP classes are offered at these learning centres:
• Bishan Learning Centre (BJ8)
• Chua Chu Kang Learning Centre (SKG)
• Parkway Parade Learning Centre (SKG)
• Sengkang Learning Centre (SKG)
• Tampines Learning Centre (TPN)

  • Please note that upon registration, new students will be required to sit for a profiling test. This test will assess their suitability for the programme. Suitable students will be referred to a PSUP class at the nearest centre. Students who are not suitable will be recommended to take up Essential Maths classes instead.
  • A new class can be formed in a different location based on demand

For more info, please email [email protected] or call 6444 5700 (Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm)

P6 Problem Sums Short Term Programme
for 2023 Term 1

Bursary is available for Short Term Programmes for both DAS and non-DAS students with a diagnosis of dyslexia.

2023SESMathsSTP 02Copy

 

The P6 Problem Sums for Upper Primary (PSUP) curriculum is a Short-Term Programme (10 lessons per term) that aims to meet the needs of Primary 6 students who are firm with their basic mathematical concepts but require appropriate strategies to help them understand, plan, and solve higher order word problems, which is an integral component in the school mathematics syllabus.

In each term, we will cover some of the challenging word problem types that will appear in the topics students will be learning in school. Our teaching methodology utilises a combination of Polya’s 4-step processes, the Concrete-Representational-Abstract approach (C-R-A) and our in-house Try-Share-Learn-Apply approach. Our Primary 6 students are given 2-hour classes to help them consolidate their learning and prepare for PSLE.

The programme is only available from Term 1 to Term 3 for our Primary 6 students. After which, students will be considered to have completed the PSUP course. Should you require continued support for your child, you may consider registering for our Essential Maths before Term 4.

Entry Criteria
P6 students taking Standard Maths

FEES

See Programme Fees

Location
Our P6 PSUP classes are offered at these learning centres:
• Bishan Learning Centre (BJ8)
• Parkway Parade Learning Centre (PWP)
• Sengkang Learning Centre (SKG)

  • A new class can be formed in a different location based on demand.

For more info, please email [email protected] or call 6444 5700 (Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm)

Programme Fees
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Who We Are

Our team of dedicated educational therapists is deeply committed to addressing specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and mathematical impairments. Despite the challenges these children face, our therapists strive to instill a love of learning. We are passionate about engaging children through methods that best suit their learning styles. Our educational therapists are extensively trained in dyslexia and the provision of math intervention. Each therapist has undergone intensive training in dyslexia and numeracy support for SPLD learners, in addition to holding relevant degrees in their respective fields.
 
We have developed a curriculum to support students with dyslexia from Primary 1 to Secondary 1. Our curriculum is aligned to the MOE Maths Syllabus and is meticulously designed according to Orton-Gillingham’s principles to meet the specific needs of our students. 

Meet The Maths Team

SITI AISHAH SHUKRI
Lead Educational Therapist
Programme Manager
RETA Associate Fellow
Bishan Learning Centre

Programme Manager

Siti Aishah has been with the DAS since 2010. She provides small group interventions for learners with dyslexia and/or other learning differences through the Main Literacy Programme and the DAS Maths Programme. Leading the Maths Core Team, she is responsible for curriculum development and offers training and support to the maths educational therapists. Siti has also conducted talks and workshops for students, parents, and educators both locally and internationally. Her work includes research on the DAS Maths Programme as well as studies on mathematical comprehension and problem-solving skills.

Andrea Koh

Bedok Learning Centre

Siti Nurhayati Mokmin

Chua Chu Kang
Learning Centre

Gwen Ong

Chua Chu Kang
and Henderson
Learning Centre

Aishah Abdulla

Bishan Learning Centre

Nur Ashabiena bte Mohd Ashraff

Bishan Learning Centre

Lau Yun Mei

Bishan Learning Centre

Lynn Yang 

Bishan and Sengkang
Learning Centre

Nina Chia

Henderson and
Sengkang
Learning Centre

Roslan Saad

Jurong Point
Learning Centre

Durgeswari Mogan

Jurong Point
Learning Centre

Aliah Sulaiman

Parkway Parade
Learning Centre

Matthew Wong

Parkway Parade
and Rex House
Learning Centre

Winnie Wee

Sengkang
Learning Centre

Tan Pei Wen

Sengkang
Learning Centre

Lynnette Ng

Sengkang Learning Centre

Ellen Teo

Sengkang Learning Centre

Shahinaz Begum

Sengkang Learning Centre

Sofia Abdollah

Sengkang Learning Centre

Ivy Lim

Sengkang and Yishun
Learning Centre

Noorsaidah Haja Mohideen

Tampines and Yishun
Learning Centre

Lin Hongwei

Tampines
Learning Centre

Zakiyyah Masri

Tampines
Learning Centre

Nurazlina Malik

Woodlands
Learning Centre

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Testimonials

This class provides my child with additional help by guiding him through problems that he is not sure of and also giving confidence to do better with more practice.

Parent of PSUP Programme (2023)

I would like to thank Teacher Cailyn for caring and being patient with Joel’s learning difficulty and helping him to enjoy Math. I would also like to thank her for the constant encouragement to Noel and guiding him towards the right path.

Parent of PSUP Programme (2023)

Mdm Aishah knows Caleb’s weakenes, and the practice she gave to Caleb was suitable. Caleb has been improving in his Math performance. Thank you for your patience and your acceptance to Caleb. Caleb is really gaining a lot of confidence after attending your class! Thank you!

Parent of PSUP Programme (2023)

Ms Gwen is an amazing teacher who’s not only caring but is actively customizing her teaching approach in consideration of Magnus’ strengths and weaknesses. Magnus is very lucky to have her as his teacher. Because of the trust and chemistry in class, Magnus has progressed well and won a school award for best in Foundation Math.

Parent of Essential Programme (2023)

Thank you Teacher Pei Wen for your care and kindness shown towards my daughter, Selina. Thank you for giving me a listening ear. As a parent of a dyslexic child, I need it. Regardless of MOE trained or not, your dedication to teaching and your compassion towards the children at DAS is commendable.

Parent of Essential Programme (2023)

The teacher is very good with handling the child and the child enjoys the classes with her much more than with previous teacher. Ms Durges is genuinely interested to teach the child and is concerned for the well-being of the child.

Parent of Essential Programme (2023)

Ms Ivy has been attentive to JR needs as he is a SPED school student which I am very grateful.

Parent of Essential Programme (2023)

Teacher Winnie is concern with Jayden’s learning and ensure he understands his work. Jayden passes his end of year paper with a grade C, 60 points. He had 48 during his term 1.

Parent of Essential Programme (2023)
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Media and Publications

Media Coverage

Persatuan Disleksia sediakan program bantu mereka yang alami Diskalkulia belajar konsep Matematik

4 October 2023 – BERITA Mediacorp

Research

The experiences of Primary 6 students with dyslexia using the metacognitive-based approach of problem solving for algebraic word problems

January 2023 – APJDD

Difficulties in expressing numbers in words: A study on Primary Four Students with  Dyslexia in Singapore

2019

From Numbers to Words: An analysis of errors made by students by dyslexia

2021

Teaching sentence level comprehension using grammar in word problems

2017

Evidence-led improvements to the DAS Maths Programme

July 2016 – APJDD

The Teaching of Math to Students with Dyslexia: A Teachers’ Perspective

July 2016 – APJDD

An Evaluation of a Mathematics Programme at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore

July 2015 – APJDD

Evaluating the progress of dyslexic children on a small-group maths intervention programme

July 2015 – APJDD
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Frequently Asked Questions

Dyslexia is a specific learning condition that affects one’s ability to read and spell accurately. It mainly affects the ability to recognise the units of sound in language and to recall information quickly and efficiently.

In Singapore, we use the English language to teach Mathematics. We use words to talk about mathematical ideas, yet students may not be aware that the same word can have a different meaning in maths. They may also struggle to understand the sentence structure used in maths.

A person with Dyslexia would experience difficulties with the following:

  1.  Understanding mathematical terms
  2.  Understanding the relationships between quantities.
  3.  Keeping track of events in word problems
  4.  Understanding Maths concepts
  5.  The spelling of Maths terms
  6.  Difficulty telling apart Maths terms with similar sounds (example: thirty vs thirteen)
  7.  Recalling mathematical facts (example: times tables)
  8.  Multi-step calculations
  9.  Multi-step word problems

DAS Maths lessons are suitable for students with a diagnosis of dyslexia and other specific learning differences, as well as students without a formal diagnosis and are experiencing difficulties with any of the following:

  1. Understanding mathematical language
  2. Difficulty grasping Math concepts
  3. Carrying out mathematical procedures accurately
  4. Comprehending Math word problems

The DAS Maths Programme is open to all Primary school students with a diagnosis of Dyslexia, a specific learning difference or students without a formal diagnosis who struggle to learn maths.

Lessons are charged on a term basis (10 lessons), inclusive of GST. View programme fees here.

A member of the Maths team will conduct the profiling test and share the findings with you. The profiling documents will be sent to the learning centre manager for placements within a week.

Parents are informed of placement by the Centre Managers. If the child is not suitable for placement, the Centre Manager will also inform the parent as the criteria was not met. Depending on the requests for classes, the waiting time for classes would be approximately 4 weeks. Parents will be informed should the wait be longer or sooner.

Math lessons are held weekly, 1 hour each session. Class sizes are usually capped at a teacher-student ratio of 1:4.

Lessons are conducted at all DAS Learning Centres except for REX Learning Centre.

The Maths Programme is guided by the following principles:

  • Language-based
  • Structured, cumulative and sequential
  • Simultaneously multi-sensory
  • Emotionally sound
  • Cognitive

Each lesson starts with a review of what was taught in the previous lesson. A new concept will then be taught via the Concrete-Representational-Approach (C-R-A). Students are given the opportunity to interact with manipulatives to help them visualize and get a sense of the mathematical concept. The final segment of the lesson covers word problems related to the new concept. Students are guided through POLYA’s 4-step processes to help them be systematic in problem-solving. Our lessons are kept fun and interactive through games and engaging activities. Orton-Gillingham principles are also incorporated to ensure that our lessons are specifically designed and kept dyslexia-friendly for our students.

We use concrete materials and teaching manipulatives to explain basic maths concepts to students. Students are provided with hands-on experience to handle these materials to aid their understanding of
the relevant maths concepts.

Our Maths lessons encompass each of the following six competencies:

  1. Conceptual Understanding
  2. Procedural Proficiency
  3. Mathematical Communication
  4. Application of Math knowledge to solve problems
  5. Reading Comprehension
  6. Thinking Skills & Heuristics

Jordan, J., Wylie, J., & Mulhern, G. (2010). Phonological awareness and mathematical difficulty: A longitudinal perspective. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 28, 89-107.

Simmons, F. R., & Singleton, C. (2009). The mathematical strengths and weaknesses of children with dyslexia. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 9(3), 154-163.

DAS RESEARCH

Bunn, T. (2014). Mathematical difficulties in Singapore: A case-study approach. Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences, 1(1), 90-113.

Yeo, J. J. R., Bunn, T., Abdullah, A., Shukri, S. A., & Oehlers-Jaen, A. (2015). Evaluating The Progress Of Dyslexic Children On A Small-Group Maths Intervention Programme In Singapore. Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences, 2(1), 144-157.

Oehlers-Jaen, A., Yeo, J. J. R., Shukri A., Abdullah, A. (2016). Evidence-led improvements to the das Maths Programme, Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences, 3(2), 248-260.

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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.