Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Principles:
• Math does not come naturally to everyone
• For some it’s like learning a foreign language
o Unfamiliar vocabulary
o Do not use the concepts in their everyday thoughts
• Informational gaps
o Lack of lower-level concepts or skills
o Prevents from obtaining higher-level concepts and skills
• If you don’t use it your lose it
Areas to Consider
Auditory Perception and Processing Attention
Handwriting Reading
Memory Right/left Discrimination
Organization Sequencing
Instruction
Summary of Strategies for Teaching Mathematics
Present advance organizers
Review prerequisite skills or concepts no matter how long ago they were taught
Model procedures enough times for clarity
Use step-by-step procedures
Provide sufficient guided and independent practice
Teach the skill of generalization specifically and directly
User real-life and meaningful examples
Focus on essential ideas for connections and foundations
Use mnemonic strategies
Teach self-questioning and self-monitoring
Teach and practice and use of visual aids
Teach gradually from the concrete to the abstract
Use cooperative learning groups
Scott Marfilius marfilius@mac.com www.scottmarfilius.com 2008 Page 1
Instructional Planning Matrix
Support Before Support During Support Following
Activity Activity Activity (may include
assessment)
Introduction of Tell about content Prompt for exploration, Remind about lessons
Skill/Concept (may be being addressed, give systematic learned from activity,
a group or class connect to necessary prompts to help use worksheet similar
presentation) prior learning, preview students see patterns to that used during
relevant vocabulary, and make activity, ask for
show static form of generalizations, discuss demonstration of
activity, and/or results of exploration knowledge with no
demonstrate activity prompts
with modeling
Practice and/or Remind about content Prompt for exploration, Remind about lessons
Assessment of being addressed, give prompts to help learned from activity,
Skill/Concept connect to necessary students see patterns use worksheet similar
(students use applet prior learning, review and make to that used during
alone or in groups) relevant vocabulary, generalizations, discuss activity, ask for
show static form of results of exploration demonstration of
activity, and/or knowledge with no
demonstrate activity prompts
with modeling
Remediation of Remind about content Prompt for exploration, Remind about lessons
Skill/Concept being addressed, give prompts to help learned from activity,
(students use applet review relevant students see patterns use worksheet similar
alone or in groups with vocabulary, connect to and make to that used during
extra supervision) necessary prior generalizations, discuss activity, ask for
learning, show static results of exploration demonstration of
form of activity, and/or knowledge with
demonstrate activity fewer/no prompts
with modeling
From Technology in Action – Integrating Applets into Middle Grades Math Vol. 2 Issue 2 June 2006
Accessibility Strategies Toolkit for Mathematics (2002, Education Development Center, Inc.)
Conceptual Processing Memory
Language Attention
Visual-Spatial Processing Pyscho-Social
Organization Fine-Motor
Final Notes
Remember
• There are many ways to teach math
• Never assume a student who has a disability is unable to master the concepts and operations of
math
• Understand why gaps exist is the first step in help them grasp the concepts
• Use good sound instructional strategies
Classroom Environment
• Display wall charts with key vocabulary and
• Reduce auditory and visual distractions
information
• Set up organizational systems
• Display examples of final products for
• Display organizational reminders and checklists students to use as models
• Post homework assignments in a consistent • Seat students according to needs, e.g.,
location attention, hearing, vision. Do not seat
• Post classroom rules students who are easily distracted near
• Set clear guidelines for group work windows or doors
• Have graph paper and templates available
Math Articles
Accessibility Strategies toolkit for mathematics –
www2.edc.org/accessmath/resources/strategiesToolkit.pdf
Hasselbring, T. S., Lott, A. C., & Zydney, J. M. (2005). Technology-supported math instruction for
students with disabilities: Two decades of research and development. Washington, DC: American
Institutes for Resarch. Available: http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=13