Home

Services

Math and Instruction

About

color coding

  • Information Processing Analogy – Big Picture

    Effective instruction is effective because it addresses the key elements of how the brain processes information. I share an analogy to help adults (parents and educators) fully appreciate this. Information Processing Model Below is a model of information processing first introduced to me in a master’s course at UCONN. Here is a summary of what…

  • Adding ones digits in 2 digit numbers with carrying

    Adding ones digits in 2 digit numbers with carrying

    A major obstacle in math for many students with special needs is carrying in addition problems. Below is a task analysis approach. First, I target the step of identifying the ONES and TENS place in the 2 digit sum in the ONES column (below it is 12). In a scaffolded handout I create a box…

  • Color – Easy to Implement Strategy

    Color – Easy to Implement Strategy

    When my son was in preschool I asked him who was in his class. He replied, ” Natalie, she’s the yellow heart.” Children learn color before they learn words because it is easier to process. This is found in children’s toys with color used to guide use of toys. The obvious use of color in…

  • Mailbag Jan 26, 2019

    Mailbag Jan 26, 2019

    Are you a parent of a student with special needs who is struggling with a math topic? Are you a teacher figuring out how to differentiate for a particular student on a math topic? Pose your question and I will offer suggestions. Share your question via email or in a comment below. I will respond…

  • Function Notation for Algebra

    Function Notation for Algebra

    Below is a video of a lesson I recorded on function notation using the Explain Everything app. The lesson starts by addressing the concept of function notation by connecting it to the use of the notation “Dr.” as in Dr. Nick of Simpson’s fame. The lesson builds on prior knowledge throughout with a focus on…

  • Corresponding Angles in Stain Glass

    Found this (above) cool example of corresponding angles (see photo below for explanation). This window photo could be a nice introduction to this type of problem by printing it out on paper and having students match angles as the teacher shows the photo on the Smart Board or screen.

  • Making Slope Less Complicated

    Slope is the rate of change associated with a line. This is a challenging topic especially when presented in the context of a real life application like the one shown in the photo. The graphed function has different sections each with a respective slope. One aspect of slope problems that is challenging is the different…

  • Introduction to Slope

    Introduction to Slope

    Slope is one of the the most important topics in algebra and is often understood by students at a superficial level. I suggest introducing slope first by drawing upon prior knowledge and making the concept relevant (see photo above).  This includes presenting the topic using multiple representations: the original real life situation, rates (see photo…

  • Analyzing a Graph

    Students can hit a road block at the steps that appear to be very simple. For example, in the problem below the students are prompted to find the highest point on the graph. Many think the graph refers to the entire coordinate plane and they pick 5 as the high point. It is the highest point…

  • Color Coding for Calculus

    This is an example of color coding (highlighting) to help make a calculus problem accessible. You don’t have to know calculus to see that the yellow sections (left and right of the 0) are going up while the green section is going down. Color coding breaks a whole into parts that are easier to see…