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Scaffolding

  • One More or One Less Scaffolding

    The photo above shows a screen for a hundreds table was shared by one of my students in a Math for Children graduate course. She found it on Pinterest for use a class presentation. I love this idea and came up with some revisions I think can make it more effective. It seems to me…

  • 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…

  • Address Skills at Performance Points

    In the photo above you see a contrast between how children learn and how educators often teach necessary skills. Children learn to ride a bike by actually performing the target skills. This is a performance point – the setting in which the child actually performs. In school students are often taught necessary skills in isolation,…

  • 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…

  • Fraction Word Problems Scaffolded

    Above is a handout used to scaffold student work with fraction word problems (more on this below). Here is a type of word problem I recently encountered in working with a student with special needs: There are 60 students. 3/5 of the students are girls. How many students are girls? The student struggled with this problem…

  • UDL Approach to Presenting Notes

    The photo above shows an excerpt from the presentation of notes in an algebra class using an UDL approach. The following strategies are implemented: Graphic organizer Color coding (notice that the slope, which is a rate of change, is green for go – movement and notice the consistent use of the colors for prior and…

  • Assessment of a Math Objective

    Assessment of a Math Objective

    List all the steps for the objective. Use this table (above) as a pretest to identify gaps. Provide instruction on the gaps. In the photo below I used color coding to show what to multiply and scaffolding to align the digits in ONES and TENS place. NOTE: I provide the problems with some steps already…

  • Graphic Organizer for Sorting

    The photo shows a graphic organizer for sorting. The process of teaching how to sort involves shaping and fading of the graphic organizer. The following files show all the graphic organizers and how they are used from simplest to almost total extinction of graphic organizer. Organizer organizer in use

  • Scaffolding Higher Level Math Topics

    The graph shown involves derivatives – a calculus level topic. Before getting into this heavier mathy stuff, consider the title of this post and the other content presented on this blog. Making math accessible to all students is not a special ed or a low level math thing. It is a learning thing. This artifact…