Supporting My Students Who Struggle in Math

I have students identified with Dyscalculia and others who struggle with many of the similar barriers to understanding, such as:

• difficulty with numeracy (comparing numbers, ordering numbers, recalling math facts) and calculations;
• visual processing;
• short- and long-term memory; and
• the language of math.

I do think of them as individual students with unique needs and I consistently consider ideas to better support them in my classroom. Today, I created these reference documents to share with my students tomorrow. They mirror much of the most recent unit of study, but provide a scaffold to help bridge the learning to the application of knowledge. They are designed to allow my students to access the content from previous lessons without relying 100% on memory.

I'm doing my best, but what else can I do?

To be honest, I am doing my best to teach my students with the toolbox of teaching strategies I have come to accumulate all these years. I want them to feel confident and to experience success in math. So, I continue to explore ways I can be a better teacher for them.

I teach through a concrete - representational - abstract methodology. I use content and language supports such as visual vocabulary and opportunities to listen and speak about math. I introduce and use graphic organizers, color code content, and revisit topics to build connections. I work with students in small groups and one-on-one to achieve specific, targeted goals set for them as individuals. But still, I know there is more I can do.

I will certainly post an update after I share these reference documents with my students tomorrow.

UPDATE

The reference tools were a success! I printed them on 1/2 sheets of paper with a color printer to maintain the color coding I included in the design. My students who needed them connected to them, recognizing phrases we've used in class (such as: friendly numbers). Two of my students asked if they could keep them and one asked permission to study it during down time!

In addition to the reference docs I made, I also provide multiplication charts as needed and blank paper to cover up extraneous information on a page so my students can focus on the problem they're solving.

Most importantly, these students were able to access the lesson, participate, feel an appropriate level of challenge, and achieve some success.

The work continues because it matters.