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instructional strategies

  • Online Academic Practice – Especially for School Closures!

    I recommend 3 sites for online academic practice in multiple content areas. IXL.com can be purchased for an individual or a family with access to multiple content areas. You can try 10 problems for free. It allows students to work on specific skills. Math grades covered range from kindergarten to precalculus! Here is a link…

  • Base Ten Using Popsicle Sticks

    I use the following method as a entry point for double digit numbers. The photo below shows 2 packs of Popsicle sticks counted as 10 each, followed by single sticks counted as 1 each. The student counts on from 20, with the use of the scaffolded handout (photo at bottom). The handout focuses only on…

  • Addition: Concept and Mechanics

    The graphic organizer below is used to show the student the steps for addition. It also addresses the concept of addition (which I have addressed previously) as an act of pulling “together” two parts to form a whole. The student is prompted to move the first part (set of coins in this case) to the…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Token Sheet to Address Target Behaviors

    Perhaps the vast majority of students with disabilities need support with math. Their challenges with math can be directly related to their disability or can be the result the effects of an ongoing struggle with math. The later results in what is termed secondary characteristics. When I work with students with a disability, I first…

  • Multiplying and Carrying a Tens Digit

    Carrying the TENS digit in a multiplication problem is a sticking point for many students. To address this, I use a task analysis approach to zero in on the step of identifying the product for the ONES as a prelude to carrying. In the example below, 5 and 4 are in the ONES place and…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Instructional Strategies