Dyspraxia is a type of Starting Point Learning Challenge where the student makes “silly mistakes”. Borrowing the exact name of a disease in medicine, dyspraxia is when an otherwise “healthy” learner just makes clumsy, careless mistakes. This is the highest form of knowledge that someone can have next to being perfectly proficient. A common treatment involves having the learner slow down, and perhaps keep a checklist of things (such as “did I remember to distribute the negative?”) as they proceed through problems in order to avoid these careless mistakes. Common for students with hyperconfidencia.
Often time a learner who understands the concept and knows how to carry out a procedure will get a problem wrong because they are going too fast, writing their work sloppily, or doing part of the work in their heads too quickly and therefore end up with careless mistakes. This student would get the problem right if they were to slow down and double check every step and show all of their work.
Example:
Teacher: What is 1.83 times 10?
Student: 183!
Teacher: Are you sure? Take your time.
Student: Yes I’m sure, you just move the decimal over by … oh wait, it’s 18.3!
Treatment involves recommending that the student “slow down” and perhaps go through a checklist before giving a final answer. This checklist could include asking themselves questions such as, “did you make sure the signs are correct?”, or “Did you distribute correctly?”, etc. depending on the topic.