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Ronit Bird is the author of The Dyscalculia Toolkit (2007), Overcoming Difficulties with Number (2009) and The Dyscalculia Resource Book (2011). The Dyscalculia Toolkit is a practical manual of teaching activities and games aimed at teachers and parents of dyscalculic pupils in primary school. Overcoming Difficulties with Number addresses the problems experienced by slightly older learners who have dyscalculia or other specific learning difficulties that affect their maths performance. It begins by providing a chapter of games and resources suitable for adolescents and continues with some very detailed, carefully structured, step-by-step teaching ideas for key numeracy strategies. The Dyscalculia Resource Book (just published) contains 100 games and puzzles for a wide age range. This latest collection of activities and challenges, designed to support learners with dyscalculia who find it difficult to memorise numeracy facts and who therefore need to learn and practise reasoning methods, aims to provide the necessary practice in an enjoyable manner – through games and activities, not worksheets – while at the same time helping learners through the important transition between concrete and abstract calculation techniques. All three books are designed to help pupils strengthen their understanding of the number system and to develop the expertise of anyone working directly with dyscalculic learners, be they teachers, tutors, teaching assistants or parents. Each book includes a CD from which to print off the resources, games and puzzles for use at school or at home.
 Ronit is a teacher whose interest in pupils with dyscalculia and other specific learning difficulties began with a focus on dyslexia. She qualified as a secondary school teacher at London University's Institute of Education and subsequently gained an OCR Diploma in SpLD from the Hornsby Dyslexia Institute. While working with dyslexic pupils in a mainstream school, Ronit started to develop strategies and teaching activities to help support the learning of pupils who were experiencing difficulties in maths.
Ronit has taught in both primary and secondary settings, and worked as a SENCO for many years, in both the independent and state sectors. Between 2006 and 2009, Ronit was involved in the Harrow Dyscalculia Project during which time she contributed to training courses for maths subject leaders, teachers and teaching assistants. As a follow-up to the training, Ronit made regular visits to the participating schools in order to support and advise those working closely with dyscalculic pupils or other learners struggling with numeracy and maths.
Ronit currently works as a teacher of dyscalculic pupils in a private school and as a freelance presenter of professional development courses on dyscalculia.
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