Math for All Learners:

Specialized Instruction
Day 4

Math for All Learners

K-2
Conducting Clinical
Interviews
Why do a Student Interview?
To gain insight into student thinking when both
teacher and student are struggling.

To prepare an IEP

For professional development

 Planning an Interview
Gather data
Interview parents and teachers about student strength
and difficulties
Collect relevant assessment results over a period of time

Identify a mathematical focus for the interview

Develop preliminary theories
Collect problems to use
 Select Problems

At least 10

Select up to three grade levels below

Familiar contexts and/or people

 Conducting the Interview
Record the interview (audio or video)
Look for evidence of student thinking.
(Do not teach the student)

Focus on questions whenever the student pauses to

think or changes her mind (What were you thinking
there?)
(Do not teach the student)

Look for indications of cognitive challenges memory,

attention, or anxiety.
(Do not teach the student)
 Questions for the Interview
What were you thinking just then?
Tell me about what you did.
Why did you think that?
How did you do that?

Why does that work?

I noticed you changed your mind. Why?

How sure are you about your answer?

How do you feel right now?

Did you remember that, or figure it out?

Looking for Cognitive Challenges

Consistent memory difficulties

Seems to know one minute and not know the next

Difficulty with attention

Distracted, impulsive

Displays or expresses strong anxiety

Body language, direct expression
 Analyzing the Results
Look for patterns in responses

Develop new theories

Plan intervention
Looking for Patterns in Response
Immediately following the interview, record your impressions
of the students thinking
Try to support intuition with evidence

Listen to the tape of the interview

Make notes of important interactions
Review student work

Consider the theories created during planning

Is there evidence to support any of these, based on student
responses?
Are there connections between these initial ideas and student
responses that might lead to new theories?
 Develop New Theories
Sometimes these are more like conclusions

Try to create at least two theories for student responses

Test with intervention

 Plan Intervention
Intervention:
If my theory about the student is correct, she will
respond to

Develop a sequence of lessons (two or three) to test

each new theory arising from the interview.