Estimated reading time 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Does your child or student have dyscalculia? Do you need help getting them to play rhythm accurately? Children with dyscalculia have struggles with math, and math and music have a lot in common. So, it makes sense that students with dyscalculia can have problems learning music. However, this post is stuffed with teaching tips that will help students learn. Keep reading How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia to learn multisensory strategies that will help kids of all abilities have fun playing and singing.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia: How Does it Impact Lessons?
Simply put, students with dyscalculia have issues with math:
- And like math, music requires sequence and order. It’s called rhythm.
- Therefore, rhythm can also pose challenges for students with dyscalculia.
- However, the following games and strategies will help your student master rhythm.
How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia: How Do You Teach Rhythm?
First, you play clapping games using word syllables.
- For example, start by coloring swatches of pink and yellow on a sheet of white paper.
- Next, you’ll point (with a steady beat) at the colors using a pointer.
- The child will clap once for every pink color and twice for every yellow color (e.g., pink, pink, yel-low, yel-low), clapping the number of syllables in each word.
- Many music teachers use fruit words to make the games even more fun.
- The following two videos show you how this works.
Mobile users: for best results viewing the videos, rotate your screen 90o to the right.
Video: Beet and Cherry Song
Video: Pear, Apple, and Watermelon Game
Second, you can play a counting game.
- This is a precursor game to learning how to count rhythm. You’ll usually use this with very young children.
- As is demonstrated in the video below (time stamp 5:05 – 5:55), you take rhythm sticks, count to an arbitrary number (e.g., three, four, five, etc. – mix it up), and at the end say, “sticks up.”
- This is good for getting across the idea that you need to do a certain number of actions (e.g., notes, beats, taps, claps, etc.).
Video: Pre-Counting Game
Third, for young children you can clap using Kodaly rhythmic syllables.
- The syllables are very intuitive so most kids will respond well to them.
- However, the syllables aren’t as flexible as counting the rhythm, so it’s usually only a steppingstone to working with more advanced rhythms.
- Our next strategy (following the video) will show you how to teach more complex rhythms.
For more information on rhythmic syllables:
Video: Kodaly Rhythmic Syllables
Fourth, you can color code the rhythm.
- You do this by color coding the counting numbers.
- For example, you clap at the red counting numbers, but you don’t at the blue numbers.
- This is a powerful teaching tool that helps older kids and adults who struggle with accurate rhythm.
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, rotate your screen 90o to the right. (Unless it already is.)
3/4 Time:
For more information on how to color code counting numbers (including rests and 16th notes):
Video: How Effective is Color Coding the Rhythm?
Playing with a steady beat can also be an issue for kids with dyscalculia.
- While using a metronome will help older students, it’s entirely useless for young students.
- For young students, you can use a pointer to guide their eyes across the page in time.
- You can also physicalize the beat by rocking from one foot to the other.
For more information on teaching the steady beat:
How to Teach Music Students with Dyscalculia: What Other Issues Can Crop Up?
In addition, some children with dyscalculia will also struggle with notes, fingering, guitar tab, and playing with hands together on piano. Here are links to posts that will help:
- How to Color Code Music Notes
- Color Coding Music for Success
- Color Coding the Fingers
- Color Coding Instruments
- How to Color Code Guitar Tab
- How to Color Code Alternate Picking
- Playing the Piano with Color Coded Notes
- How Does Your Brain Learn to Play the Piano with Two Hands?
- How to Play Piano (Kid’s Color Coded Piano Hand Placement)
Final Thoughts
Takeaway points:
- Simply put, students with dyscalculia have issues with math.
- Like math, music requires sequence and order (it’s called rhythm), so music can pose challenges for students with dyscalculia. However, there are many games and strategies that will help your students master rhythm and the steady beat.
- In addition, some kids with dyscalculia will also struggle with notes, fingering, guitar tab, and putting their hands together on piano.
Have fun teaching!
Related Posts:
- How to Teach Music to Neurodivergent Students
- How to Learn Music Theory with a Learning Disability
- What Is the Precise Meaning of Scaffolding in Teaching?
- What’re Critical Fine Motor Skills for Special Needs Music?
- What Exactly Is Dyspraxia and Its Impact on Learning Piano?
© 2025 Geoffrey Keith
Glossary
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