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Dyslexia and maths: when it's the words, not the numbers, that trip them up

Written by The Jabba team · Updated 15 July 2026

Can dyslexia affect maths? Yes, and it surprises a lot of people. A dyslexic child can be good with numbers and still do poorly in maths, because the questions have to be read first. When all the energy goes on decoding the text, there's not much left for the sum itself. The fix usually isn't more maths practice, it's taking the reading load off the question.

In 30 seconds

Dyslexia affects maths through the words, not the numbers.
Read the question aloud to tell whether it's the reading or the calculating that trips them up.
Reading aloud isn't cheating. It removes a barrier that has nothing to do with maths.
If you suspect dyslexia, talk to the school's SENCO early.

Why does dyslexia affect maths?

Dyslexia is about decoding written words, not about understanding numbers. But modern maths is full of text: word problems, instructions, technical terms like "difference" and "product". The child has to read their way to what they're even meant to work out.

For a dyslexic child, that reading costs an enormous amount. The brain spends so much effort on the letters that there's nothing left to hold the numbers in mind at the same time. The sum might be easy enough. The child just never got to it.

That's why a dyslexic child can sit with a page of word problems and grind to a halt, then solve exactly the same sums with no trouble if someone reads them aloud.

Is it the reading or the maths?

It's worth finding out, because the two need different help. Try the simple thing: read the question aloud to your child and see what happens. Plenty of children have a bit of all of it, but it changes everything to know where the problem sits, instead of concluding your child is "just not good at maths".

Do they solve it now? Then it's the reading that's the barrier, not the maths. That's actually good news, because the reading load is something you can take off.
Do they still stall? Then there's also a missing step in the maths itself, and that needs finding and building up.
Do they stall on the technical words? Then it's the subject vocabulary that needs shoring up, not the calculating.

What helps a dyslexic child in maths?

Every one of these does the same thing: it takes the words away as an obstacle without taking the maths away.

Have the text read aloud. The most effective move is also the simplest. Read the question aloud and all the child's energy is freed up to do the maths. It isn't cheating, it's removing a barrier that has nothing to do with maths.
Make the numbers something to see and move. Blocks, number lines and fraction bars make abstract ideas concrete without a single word. For a child who struggles with text, that's a way into maths that goes around the reading.
Split the two tasks apart. Let the child understand the question first, with help on the text, then do the maths afterwards. Two easier steps beat one impossible one.
Let the child answer out loud. If they can say the answer or explain their thinking aloud instead of writing it down, it shows what they can actually do. Handwriting shouldn't stand between them and showing what they know.
Take the pressure off the pace. Dyslexic children need longer on the same work, and that says nothing about their ability. Calm around the task does more for the result than another page of practice.

When should you seek help?

If you suspect dyslexia but your child hasn't been assessed, start with the school's SENCO, the special educational needs coordinator. The school can put SEN support in place and arrange an assessment, and an early diagnosis opens access to the arrangements and support that change how school goes, such as extra time or a reader in exams. Don't wait for it to sort itself out.

If your child has already been assessed, ask how their access arrangements are used in maths, not just in reading and English. That's often where they get forgotten.

How Jabba takes the reading load off maths

When the problem is that the text blocks the numbers, the help has to remove the text as an obstacle without removing the maths. That's built into Jabba from the first stroke.

Jabba reads every word aloud, and he uses a dyslexia-friendly font, not as a setting you have to hunt for, but as part of the design from the start. Your child can also just talk to Jabba instead of writing, and explain their thinking out loud. It means decoding no longer stands between your child and the sum.

At the same time, maths with Jabba starts as blocks, number lines and fraction bars the child can move and see, then bridges to the numbers and symbols they stand for. It's a way into maths that doesn't run through text. Jabba goes one small step at a time, gives hints instead of answers, and there are no red marks and no time pressure.

Jabba is an AI tutor for children aged 5 to 16, teaching in step with the national curriculum. He's a learning companion, not a treatment, and he doesn't replace a dyslexia assessment or the support the school should provide. But for letting a dyslexic child show what they can do in maths, without the letters getting in the way, he's built for it.

Questions about dyslexia and maths

What parents ask most

Can you be dyslexic and good at maths?

Yes, and it's very common. Dyslexia is about decoding written words, not about a talent for numbers. Many dyslexic children are strong with numbers and still stall in maths, because the questions have to be read first.

Why are word problems so hard for dyslexic children?

Because all the energy goes on decoding the text before the child even reaches the sum. There's then nothing left to hold the numbers in mind. Read the question aloud and the child can often solve it with no trouble.

Is it cheating to have maths questions read aloud?

No. Reading aloud removes a barrier that has nothing to do with maths, and the child still does all the calculating themselves. A reader is a recognised access arrangement in exams. It's like giving glasses to someone who can't see the board.

How do I tell whether it's reading or maths that's the problem?

Read the question aloud to your child. If they solve it now, the reading is the barrier. If they still stall, there's also a missing step in the maths that needs finding and building up.

Sources

Let the letters stop getting in the way

Let Jabba read every word aloud and meet your child in maths with numbers they can see and move, one small step at a time.

Set up your child