Dyscalculia interventions can sometimes feel like guesswork—trial and error in search of a breakthrough. But the I-CRAVE Maths Methodology and framework offers a structured, step-by-step method to move students from confusion to clarity. This final post in our series delves into how each element of the I-CRAVE Maths Methodology can be tailored to support learners with Dyscalculia.
I-CRAVE Overview
- I: Identify
- C: Concrete
- R: Representational
- A: Abstract
- V: Verbal
- E: Explicit
The sequence ensures no step is overlooked, offering a clear pathway for students who may have significant gaps in their numerical understanding.
1. Identify
For Dyscalculia, intervention must be free of assumptions. If we simply teach year four content, for example, because the student is enrolled in year four yet doesn’t have the necessary foundations, we simply set them up to fail.
At Maths Australia we Identify where the student is at with our Placement Tests, available here.
2. Concrete
Students with Dyscalculia benefit immensely from hands-on practice. Provide physical objects—that are accurate and will progress them sequentially —to illustrate every lesson, beginning with counting and place value and extending to addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and percents. Encourage exploration; let students literally “play” with these manipulatives, with accurate guidance, to form a mental image of the maths concept. This tactile experience reduces the cognitive load by making the idea tangible.
3. Representational
Once the concept is understood concretely, move to accurate pictorial/ representational forms. For example, after every new lesson is introduced, transition from the physical manipulative to drawing. This helps students see the relationship between the physical object and a visual model. In Dyscalculia interventions, bridging this gap is crucial—students learn to translate hands-on experiences into images, preparing them for abstract notation.
4. Abstract
Finally, introduce symbolic elements like numbers and operation signs. By the time you reach this stage, students have likely formed a solid conceptual foundation. They can now relate an operation (like 1/2 + 1/4) back to the fraction overlay cards they physically combined earlier and the diagrams they drew. This step cements their understanding in conventional mathematical language and requires an understanding that we are in fact teaching a language with its own set of symbols, of rules, and of vocabulary.
5. Verbalise
Frequent validation is especially important for students with Dyscalculia. Celebrate small wins and check for comprehension at each stage. Ask the student to explain how they arrived at an answer, or have them teach a concept back to you. This not only reinforces their understanding but also boosts confidence, combating the self-doubt many Dyscalculic learners carry.
6. Explicit
The last step challenges the student to apply the concept in new contexts. This might involve word problems, real-life applications (like cooking or budgeting), or even small-group discussions. By extending their learning into slightly more complex or unfamiliar territory, students gain flexibility and resilience in their mathematical thinking.
I-CRAVE Maths Methodology, as developed by Esther White, is more than just a teaching framework—it’s a systematic approach that addresses the unique hurdles Dyscalculic learners face. By explicitly guiding them from a simple introduction to complex applications, educators can drastically reduce confusion and build genuine comprehension. When properly implemented, I-CRAVE empowers learners with Dyscalculia to move from being perpetually stuck to experiencing those long-sought “aha!” moments that define true mathematical success.
Join our leading multi-sensory maths specialist and Dyscalculia Specialist (DUK), Esther White, at our next training to learn the subtleties of her I-CRAVE Maths* Methodology that makes all the difference; the subtleties that you need to embed into your maths instruction to absolutely transform your student’s numeracy outcomes. Check out our multi-sensory maths training here.