Dyslexia and math: why word problems are hard and how a tutor can help
Krsna Academy · · 6 min read
Many children with dyslexia find word problems hard because the reading gets in the way of the math, not because they cannot do the math. When the words are taken off their plate, by reading the problem aloud, breaking it into short pieces, and drawing it, many of these students solve problems they seemed to be stuck on a minute earlier.
Why are word problems hard for students with dyslexia?
A word problem asks a student to do two jobs at once: read the text accurately and then think mathematically about it. The International Dyslexia Association's revised 2025 definition describes dyslexia as persistent difficulty with reading words and spelling, in accuracy, speed, or both, and notes that it can also affect reading comprehension. When decoding each word takes effort, there is less attention left for the mathematics.
The result is a familiar pattern. A child who answers "What is 24 divided by 4?" in seconds gets stuck on "Maya shares 24 stickers equally among 4 friends. How many does each friend get?" The math is identical. The reading is not.
Some students also find numbers themselves hard: remembering facts, keeping track of steps, or knowing which number is bigger. That is a different question from reading, and if it worries you, raise it with your child's teacher or school team rather than guessing at a cause.
What can a parent do at home when a word problem stalls?
Separate the reading from the thinking. Taking the reading load away for a moment shows you, and your child, whether the math is the real obstacle.
- Read the problem aloud, or let your child listen to it with a text-to-speech tool, once all the way through without stopping.
- Ask your child to tell you the story in their own words: who is in it, what happens, and what we are trying to find out.
- Draw it. A quick sketch, a number line, or a bar model turns sentences into something your child can see and point to.
- Only now write the calculation, and then check whether the answer makes sense in the story.
Keep sessions short and stop on a success. A child who has spent all day working hard to read often has very little left by evening, and that is not a lack of effort.
Should children memorize keywords like "altogether means add"?
Not as a rule. Keyword lists break easily: "How many more does Sam have than Ali?" contains "more" but needs subtraction. They also encourage skimming for one word instead of understanding the situation, which is exactly the habit that hurts a student who already finds reading tiring.
Teach the small words by acting them out instead. Use coins, blocks, or snacks to show "each", "less than", "twice as many", and "left over". When a child has seen what a phrase does, they recognize it in a new problem far more reliably than when they have memorized a list.
How does a tutor help with dyslexia and math?
A good tutor works on the math and the reading of math together, at a pace that lets the student succeed. In practice that usually looks like this:
- Reading problems aloud with the student at first, then gradually handing more of the reading back as confidence grows.
- Using the same visual models every week, such as bar models and number lines, so the student has a reliable way into any problem.
- Building a short personal list of math vocabulary the student has met and understood, written in their own words.
- Practising a few problems in depth rather than many in a rush, and talking through why each step works.
- Keeping parents informed about what helped, so the same approach can continue at home and be shared with the school.
A tutor is not a reading specialist or a clinician. The aim is to make sure reading difficulties do not hide what a student can do in math, and to build the habits that let them show it.
How do word problems fit with a school support plan?
If your child has an Individual Education Plan, it is worth checking that reading supports cover math as well as language. In Ontario, the Ministry of Education's sample IEP template lists accommodations in three groups: instructional, environmental, and assessment. Ask the school team whether supports your child already has for reading, such as having questions read aloud or using assistive technology, also apply to math lessons and tests.
In British Columbia and other provinces the process and the names differ, so ask your child's school how their plan works. Either way, examples from home ("she solved all five once I read them aloud") are useful evidence for the next review.
How Krsna Academy can help
Krsna Academy offers tutoring for neurodivergent learners, including children and teens with dyslexia, online across Canada and in person in the Greater Toronto Area. Students work with the same tutor each week on math and science, and parents receive notes after every tutorial. For homework structure more generally, see our guide to helping a child with ADHD with math homework.
We are academic tutors, not clinicians, and this article is general guidance. For questions about assessment or diagnosis, speak with your child's school team or a qualified professional.
Questions people ask
Why does my child with dyslexia struggle with math word problems?
Word problems combine reading and math, and dyslexia makes reading words accurately and quickly harder. When decoding takes effort, less attention is left for the math itself. Many children solve the same problem easily once it is read aloud to them.
How can I help my dyslexic child with word problems at home?
Read the problem aloud first, ask your child to retell it in their own words, and then draw it with a sketch or bar model before writing any calculation. Finish by checking whether the answer makes sense in the story. Keep sessions short and stop on a success.
Should kids with dyslexia learn math keywords like "altogether means add"?
Keyword lists often mislead, because the same word can point to different operations depending on the problem. It works better to act out small but important phrases such as "each", "less than", and "left over" with real objects. Children who understand what a phrase does recognize it in new problems more reliably.
Can an IEP include supports for math word problems?
Often, yes. In Ontario, the ministry's sample IEP template groups accommodations as instructional, environmental, and assessment, and reading supports such as read-aloud may be considered for math too. Ask your child's school team, since processes vary by province and board.
Written by Krsna Academy, a one-to-one tutoring academy for learners from Grade 1 to university across Canada. Krsna Academy was founded by Mehak Saini, who holds a mathematics degree from Dalhousie University and taught IB mathematics, physics, and economics for six years.