Vacation Already

Since I have the next two days off for Rosh Hashanah, I will be going out of town. My first week was excellent. the kids are so sweet and great and full of goodness. I had two kids miss my first period this week and both times they came by at the end of the day to say they were sorry and get the homework. Amazing.

Here is the teaching issues so far that I don't know what to do about.

1. I havea blind student. He just went blind a year or so ago, so he hasnt really adapted. He has an aid with him, but I dont really understand what she does, except that she writes his answers for him. Also, he apparantly shouldnt have passed his math class last year because he didnt know the material and his parents are really mad at the school because since he can't repeat a class he has credit for, he had to go on. But the real issue, how do you teach math and solving equations to someone without any writing?

2. I have a student who cannot read numbers. She said sometimes she can but it takes a long time, but she has something called dyscalculo (not sure if that is spelled right). I haven't researched it yet, buat again, how to teach math without using numbers? Luckily the class is mostly geometry that she is in, but I still have to prepare her for a state test at the end of the year that will have algebra on it too. Also, I can teach her things using manipulatives and waht not, but then what happens when its written in numbers on the test? As a note, she can count objects though.

Suggestions? Comments? I will check when I get back on Sunday.