Adaptive games for the remediation of developmental dyscalculia: the Number Catcher
Rossella Serafino, Deborah Depetris
Developmental dyscalculia is a difficulty in learning mathematics which is thought to affect 3-6% of the population and may be due, at least in part, to a dysfunction of areas of the brain that represent numerical information. Research in cognitive neuroscience has also shown that mathematical games can improve number sense, especially in dyscalculic children. The INSERM CEA Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit has developed a new tool for the remediation of dyscalculia, an adaptive game: The Number Catcher. This software is free and available online. The game is specially designed for children aged 5 to 10 years old. It aims to help strengthen the brain circuits involved in the presentation and manipulation of numbers. Current research suggests that such maths training tools, like the Number Catcher, improve the arithmetical skills of dyscalculic children and these improvements seem to be related to changes involving brain areas that respond to number.
Keywords
Dyscalculia, Games, Number.