Concrete-Representation-Abstract
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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…
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Counting Money as a Game
The Allowance Game is retail game tailored to students who are learning to count money. I revised it to make it more authentic and more functional. I changed some money amounts to necessitate the use of pennies (see below) I use real dollars and cents to provide more opportunities to handle real money I…
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Making Sense of Fractions – Regrouping with Mixed Numbers
It is easy to get caught up in the steps and rote memorization when working with fractions. The brain processes information more effectively when the information is meaningful. ADHD makes paying attention to rote memorization of steps even more challenging. Below is an excerpt of work I completed with a middle school student who has…
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WAR Card Game Modified for Height Comparision
Comparing numbers is very challenging for some students and likely speaks to a major gap in their number sense. It is also very challenging to address effectively with these students. The photo below shows an entry point into I have used with success in helping such a student. Even for these struggling students, taller and…
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Superhero Math
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Symmetry Made Accessible
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Lego Fractions
The photo below is courtesy of Robert Yu, Head of Lego Education China, as shared by Jonathan Rochelle, Director for Project Management at Google. The use of Legos shown here is a classic (and wicked clever) example of manipulatives. Before writing the actual fractions students can use drawings as shown below. The sequence of manipulatives,…
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Comparison Shopping – Real Life Example
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Sales Price Entry Point
A pseudo- concrete representation of a sales price problem is shown below. This is what I use as an entry point for teaching these problems. The entire shape represents the total price of $80. This is 100%, which in student language is “the whole thing.” The discount rate is 25%. Cut with scissors to lop…
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Adding ones digits in 2 digit numbers with carrying
