Teaching Dyslexic Children

As published:
Ld-Online.org
Washington Parent Magazine

Imaging cognitive-sensory connection to mathematics
Nanci Bell and Kimberly Tuley
http://www.lindamoodbell.com/

Why does not everyone think that with numbers? Why do some children learn math easily, manage money and time concepts with ease, retain information from year to year, and thinking with numbers effortlessly? What cognitive processes do have some that others do not?

Mathematics is cognitive thought-process-which requires the dual coding of imagery and language. Imaging is fundamental to the process of thinking with numbers. Albert Einstein, whose theories of relativity helped explain our universe, used the imagery of the base of his mental processing and problem resolution. Perhaps he summed up the importance of imagery best when he said: "If I can not imagine, I can not understand."

For people who "get" math, the language of numbers is transformed into images. They use an internal language and images that allows them to calculate and check the math, they 'see' logic.

Imaging is the basis for thinking with numbers and the conceptualization of their functions and their logic. The Greek philosopher Plato said: "And you also know that although they [mathematicians] make use of the visible forms and reason about them, they did not think of them, but the ideals which they resemble. .. they are really trying to see things themselves, which can be seen with eyes of the mind? "

The relationship of imaging the ability to think is one of the theories of human cognition by excellence. Allan Paivio, author of dual coding theory (DCT) and a cognitive psychologist, said: "Cognition is proportional to the extent that mental representations (imagery) and language are integrated." Research since the 1970s and 1990 has validated Dr. Paivio Force as a viable model of human cognition and its practice and theoretical application to the understanding of language (Bell, 1991). Dr. Paivio believes that, to think and understand, the man must be able to simultaneously generate images and language appropriate to describe the imagery.

Mathematics is the essence of cognition. He thinks (dual coding) with numbers, images and language, reading / spelling is thinking with letters, images and language. Both processes are often mirror images of each other, require the integration of language and images to understand the fundamentals and then apply them. Double coding in mathematics, like reading, requires two aspects of imaging: the symbol / number of images (parts / details) and concept imagery (set / gestalt).

Numeral imaging

Viewing figures is one of the fundamental cognitive processes necessary for the understanding of mathematics. For example, we image the number "2" for the concept of two. When you see the number "3", we know that this is the concept of three of something: three hundred, three apples, three horses, three points. If someone gives us two in the three figures, we have a discrepancy between our figures of three image and reality (concept) of three. The images first had for mathematics is the symbol (or number) and the imagery that represents the reality of a concept of number.

What's the imagery as figure? Here is an example. Cecil was very good in math. He could not think with numbers, find answers in his head, and mentally check discrepanci mathematics.