S03E12 - Daniel Ansari on Number Sense, Fluency and Understanding Math Difficulties
Knowledge for Teachers
Understanding Dyscalculia and Spatial Cognition
This chapter examines the challenges faced by dyscalculic students in arithmetic and the impact of spatial abilities on their learning. It discusses strategies for educators to support these students by enhancing spatial thinking and employing concrete teaching methods.
What do young children really need to understand about numbers? And why do some students struggle so much with maths—even from the very beginning?
In this insightful episode, I’m joined by Professor Daniel Ansari, a leading cognitive neuroscientist whose work has shaped how we understand early mathematical development. We explore what number sense actually is, why symbolic understanding is so important and how to build arithmetic fluency without creating anxiety.
Daniel also unpacks key ideas around subitising, dyscalculia and the role of spatial reasoning in maths success. If you teach in the early years or support students who find maths difficult, this episode is packed with practical insights you can take straight into your classroom.
Tune in for an evidence-based conversation that will empower you to better support every child's mathematical journey, fostering confidence, fluency and a genuine love for maths!
Resources mentioned:
- The Maths Guarantee (Grattan Institute report)
- The Maths Guarantee: A guide for principals (Grattan Institute)
- Assisting Students Struggling with Math (a guide from the Institute of Education Sciences)
- McNeil, N. M., Jordan, N. C., Viegut, A. A., & Ansari, D. (2025). What the science of learning teaches us about arithmetic fluency. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 26(1), 10-57.
- Times Tables Rock Stars
- Stanislas Dehaene's Number Sense
- Chalk and Talk podcast (by Anna Stokke)
You can connect with Daniel:
Twitter: @NumCogLab
You can connect with Brendan:
Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee
Facebook: @learningwithmrlee
Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft
Website: learnwithlee.net
Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast
About Professor Daniel Ansari
Daniel Ansari is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive
Neuroscience & Learning at Western University. Ansari and his team in the Numerical Cognition Laboratory explore how children develop numerical and mathematical skills and why some children struggle to acquire mathematical skills and knowledge. Ansari and his team are committed to bridging between the Science of Learning and K-12 Classrooms. Ansari is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research (CIFAR).
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