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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Leading a Multi-tiered System of Support: Tiered Instruction - Evidence Based Early Literacy

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The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and international PISA assessments.

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A video with tips on better Tier 1 interventions and supports

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A video with tips on better Tier 1 interventions and supports

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Strategies of how to help students in Tier 1

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Strategies of how to help students in Tier 1

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Heather Gasvoda | K-12 Content Marketing Manager

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12 Effective Tier 1 Instructional Strategies

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Discover twelve foundational instructional strategies to improve classroom teaching and boost student engagement.

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How to Collect Reading Intervention Data

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Example pictures of a classroom that allows for equitable access to instruction:

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Example pictures of a classroom that allows for equitable access to instruction:

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https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/tier-1-instruction

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Page 11: Effective Instruction at Tier 2

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After eight weeks of Tier 1 instruction, Mrs. Hernandez’s progress monitoring data reveal that four students—DeJuan, Jack, Ryan, and LaToya—are not making adequate progress. Although these students will continue to receive high-quality, Tier 1 instruction from Mrs. Hernandez, she has determined that they would benefit from supplemental Tier 2 intervention and continued frequent progress monitoring.[.....]

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Resource explaining how students enter into tier 2 and what characteristics may classify as such:

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Resource explaining how students enter into tier 2 and what characteristics may classify as such:

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Effects of a Tier 2 Supplemental Reading Intervention for At-Risk Fourth Grade Students

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This study investigated a Tier 2 intervention in the context of a Response to Intervention (RTI) model for 123 fourth grade students who were identified as having a high probability of reading failure. A randomized control trial was used to evaluate…

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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Intervention-Time-Tracker-RTI-Tier-2-Time-Tracker-Digital-and-Printable-6626503

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Parent supports to help children at home:

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Parent supports to help children at home:

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Math Strategies for Struggling Students - Video | Study.com

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Because math is oftentimes a challenging subject for students to learn, intervening is sometimes necessary for students who struggle in the…

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Imagine writing a set of driving directions. You'd list the steps, detailing when to turn right and left. But would this work for someone who is not able to differentiate between left and right?

In a case like this, we'd have to strengthen our directions to meet this person's special needs.

We can do the same when it comes to teaching math.

There is not a single, surefire approach for teaching math to students with learning disabilities. However, a good rule of thumb is to use evidence-based teaching practices that work for all students-and then make the necessary, specially designed adjustments so students with learning disabilities have the support to get where you're asking them to go.

You might find that you improve outcomes for all students in the process.

With support from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University has assembled a set of best practices to help math educators meet the needs of struggling learners and students with learning disabilities. Here are a few highlights:

Explicit Instruction

Highly structured and thoughtfully sequenced teaching can improve the ability of all students-including students with learning disabilities-to learn mathematical concepts across grade levels.

Key elements of this strategy include:

Clearly identifying the skills or concepts needed to complete an activity

Connecting activities to what students have already learned

Giving precise instructions

Scaffolding instruction so students have a chance to practice their emerging math skills and gradually solve whole problems

Encouraging students to verbally describe their strategy and rationale when solving a problem

Visual Representations

Providing students with an accurate visual depiction of a math problem's quantities and relationships can help them reflect on their own understanding and solve that problem.

Because students with learning disabilities do not use this strategy on their own, it's important for teachers to provide them with visual representations, which can include:

Number lines

Strip diagrams

Pictures/illustrations

Graphs/charts

Graphic organizers

In addition, there is evidence that using visual representations to solve word problems can help students with learning disabilities make significant gains in math achievement.

Schema Instruction

Word problems can be difficult for most students-especially students with learning disabilities. Teaching students how to identify word problem types based on their structure (i.e., schema) can help. Studies have shown that students are more successful at solving word problems when they identify word problem types than when they learn to only identify keywords in the problem.

The four basic types of word problems are:

1. Additive schemas (addition and subtraction)

2. Multiplicative schemas (multiplication and division)

3. Ratios/proportions

4. Combined schemas (multistep problems)

Using explicit instruction strategies can be effective in teaching students to use schemas. In addition, students might find multiple correct ways to use schemas to solve the same problem.

Metacognitive Strategies

Without teacher intervention, students with learning disabilities might use math strategies inconsistently or not at all. Teaching students metacognitive strategies (those that build awareness of mathematical thinking and problem-solving strategies) can help them focus on what's relevant and solve the problem.

Teachers can work with students to develop skills in these areas to build their metacognitive math abilities:

Planning: Students make decisions on what the problem is asking them to do and the best strategy for solving it.

Monitoring: Students check to see whether their strategy is working while they solve a math problem. They ask whether the answer makes sense.

Modifying: Students adjust their strategy when their approach is not working.

While there is not a single strategy that works for teaching math to struggling learners, it's a good idea to start with solid and proven teaching practices that work for all students and add specific accommodations for students with learning disabilities to level the playing field and ensure that all of your students have an opportunity for math success.

These strategies were adapted from the Iris Center's resource, What Evidence-Based Mathematics Practices Can Teachers Employ? Also see our research-based resource, Mathematics Interventions: What Strategies Work for Struggling Learners or Students With Learning Disabilities?.

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Math success for students with learning disabilities and struggling learners starts with solid teaching practices combined with necessary, specially designed teaching adjustments.

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Math Generation: Productive Struggle - Toby Johnson MS

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Verifying you are human. This may take a few seconds.

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Looking to create Student-Centered Math Classrooms? These tips and strategies will help you get started today!

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As a math teacher, you want all of your students to reach their highest potential. However, with increasingly diverse student needs in today's classrooms, it can be difficult to determine how to meet your learners where they are. This is where accommodations come into play! These small adjustments can make a world of difference for struggling and reluctant learners. Today I wanted to share a little more about what math accommodations are (and aren't) and give you some ideas to use in your classroom.

What are accomodations?

Accommodations are changes or adjustments to the instructional environment, curriculum, or assessment that make it possible for all students to participate and learn. They can be put into place for a variety of reasons- such as a student's disability, cultural background, English language proficiency, or reading level. The goal of accommodations is always the same: to ensure that all students have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

There are a few things that accommodations are NOT: they are not a replacement for instruction, nor do they guarantee success for any student.

Additionally, accommodations cannot be tailored specifically to an individual student- instead, they should be available to all students who need them. Finally, math accommodations should be used in conjunction with interventions, which are designed specifically for individual students.

What is the difference between accommodations and modifications?

The main difference between accommodations and modifications is that accommodations generally change the environment or the way things are done, while modifications involve altering the content of what is being taught.

For math, some common accommodations include providing math tools such as rulers and compasses, allowing students to use graphic organizers to organize their thoughts, and breaking down math problems into smaller steps.

Modifications, on the other hand, would be things like changing the math problems to be less difficult or providing alternate assignments for students who are struggling.

Some students with disabilities may require both accommodations and modifications to be successful. However, many struggling learners can benefit from accommodations without any modifications being necessary.

How can math accommodations help struggling learners?

There are a few ways that math accommodations can help struggling learners. First, they can provide students with specific strategies and tools to help them understand and complete math tasks. Additionally, accommodations can help to create a more supportive and structured learning environment, which can reduce feelings

Now that we've covered what accommodations are, let's dig a little deeper to understand the different types of accommodations you might consider providing in your math classroom.

The Four Key Types of Accommodations All Teachers Should Know

There are four types of accommodations you're likely to use in your classroom. In fact, you're probably already using many of these without realizing they are considered accommodations at all! These include adjustments to the learning environment, pacing of lessons or assignments, changes to the format of instruction, and adjustments to how students share their learning.

Each of these types of accommodations can be helpful for struggling learners in your math classroom. Now let's take a closer look at each one.

Environmental or setting accommodations focus on where.

These are changes to the physical environment of the classroom. This could involve things like adjusting the lighting, providing a specific type of seating, or working in a different area of the classroom.

Schedule or timing accommodations focus on when.

These accommodations are designed to allow students to work at a pace that is the right fit for them. The most common of these is extended time, which is offered to students with a variety of different needs.

However, timing accommodations also include:

offering breaks

shortening assignments or using time limits to determine assignment length

pausing and breaking down assignments into bite-sized pieces

Instructional or presentation accommodations answer how.

Instructional accommodations focus on how learning happens for the student. These changes to instruction are meant to provide more support for students as they learn new concepts. This can include the use of additional materials, like manipulatives, or tools to aid learning.
Examples of instructional accommodations include:

modified or simplified language

visual aids and supports

frequent check-ins to monitor understanding

directions provided in multiple formats

access to teacher or peer notes

questions read aloud to the student

pre-teaching vocabulary

Response accommodations answer what.

These are the different ways you allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the material. Response accommodations focus on the assessment of student learning and also answer what students will be asked to provide as evidence.
Examples include:
Hopefully, this gives you a little better understanding of what types of accommodations you might consider using or are already including in your math lessons.

Of course, there are more examples than those I've listed here, but keeping these four basic types in mind can help with your planning. It is always a good idea to have a conversation with the student's parents or teacher about their needs so you can create a plan that best meets his/her needs!

60+ Math Accommodations for Your Classroom

Math is an area many learners struggle. That's why it is important to have a variety of accommodations available. You can implement any of the options below. However, you should note that it might take a bit to determine if they are working.

The lists of strategies below will help you differentiate in math so all of your students can achieve success.

During Instruction

One-on-one instruction

Provide small group review after lesson

Provide an audio version of the textbook

Use manipulatives

Visual aids - like personal anchor charts or step-by-step directions

Provide a copy of student notes

Split class into small groups

Introduce graphic organizers or concept maps to organize new knowledge

Highlight or color code key vocabulary or concepts

Provide copies of problems written on board during guided practice

Pre-teach key vocabulary and concepts

Provide scaffolded notes w/ areas for students to fill-in-the-blanks

Use verbal cues that identify the most important information during lessons

Prepare the student before calling on them to answer aloud

Provide page numbers from the textbook that correlate to lesson & offer models

Allow students to record lessons & take pictures of slides.

Record & share lessons with students or families

Incorporate breaks every 8-10 minutes of instruction

Plan breaks in lesson to check for understanding

Use proximity to gain attention & help students maintain focus

Utilize songs or rhymes to boost memory for rote information

Incorporate sensory tools & fidgets into lessons

Classroom assignments or tests

Give directions both orally and in writing

Simplify wording of directions

Orally read all word problems

Provide extra workspace or large print

Arrange problems from easiest to hardest

Multiple choice questions instead of open-ended questions

Allow oral responses or use of speech-to-text technology

Reduce the number of problems per page

Rubrics to provide specific feedback

Math software/apps to provide extra practice

Extended time

Allow use of manipulatives

Break assignments into chunks or offer paper to cover additional questions to reduce visual overwhelm

Offer frequent breaks for movement

Calculator, math fact chart, or formulas to reduce demands on working memory

Frequently check-in on student progress during independent work

Provide models with clearly laid-out steps

Use of graph paper for lining up numbers to compute

Allow use of alternative writing tools - dry erase, slant boards, etc.

Reduce assignment length

Use highlighter strips to help students track when reading word problems

Trade timed tasks for untimed tasks

Offer sentence stems or frames for written explanations

Provide one problem at a time using tools like Google Slides or task cards

Scribe responses for student

Provide checklist for reviewing work before turning it in

Give prior notice for all assessments - no pop quizzes

Classroom environment

Provide noise-canceling headphones to reduce distractions

Offer frequent breaks for movement

Use a study carrel or private seating to reduce distractions

Offer a timer to help monitor how much longer they must work on a task

Use preferential seating - near teacher or peers unlikely to engage

During group, work give the student a specific task or responsibility

Allow partial participation in groupwork

Allow students to complete tasks or check in with a peer

Teach student request to work in a separate space when distracted

Consider adjustments to lighting for photosensitive students

Homework

Communicate homework & expectations to parents

Provide study guide or step-by-step directions for review

Only provide homework that practices mastered or nearly mastered skills

Reduce homework assignment length

Reduce or remove penalties for late or incomplete homework

Offer time parameters for homework like complete as much as you can in 20 minutes

Examples of Using Accommodations in the Math Classroom

While I've shared a number of possible ways you can help meet the needs of your learners in the space above, it can be helpful to get a feel for what this might look like in your classroom. That's why I've shared three scenarios below. I've experienced each of these, and I want to share the tools I've used to address the issues. These may not be a perfect fit for your learner's unique needs. However, I hope you'll find this to be a helpful starting spot.

Scenario 1: My student understands the concepts, but she struggles to finish assignments because she is pulled from class often or works slowly.

This is a common issue that is often mentioned when considering how to meet the needs of struggling learners or those that receive services outside the classroom. Therefore, here are five accommodations you may consider when you've got a student in this situation:

1. Modify assignments to reduce the number of repetitions required

2. Give extended time for assignments

3. Grade only completed problems

4. Allow oral answers, when possible.

5. Create a system to help the student recall and prioritize unfinished work.

Scenario 2: My student does not understand the concepts being taught and falls behind quickly.

This student may need more repetitions and experience with the foundational parts of your instruction to master the skill. Here are some accommodations that can be helpful:

1. Use manipulatives & focus on mastery of skill at the concrete level.

2. Provide small-group or one-on-one reteach after the whole group lesson.

3. Use breaks in your lesson to check for understanding or have the student paraphrase the big ideas.

4. Organize problems on the assignment from easiest to most difficult to better identify where understanding breaks down.

5. Use proximity & chunking to break down assignments and catch misconceptions quickly.

Scenario 3: My student is capable. However, he is easily distracted. This has led to some gaps in understanding & other difficulties in class.

When students are easily distracted, they often miss important information during your lessons. Over time, these small gaps can add up to create larger issues. Here are some ways you can support students with attention issues.

1. Purposefully incorporate movement & activity into lessons to boost engagement.

2. Chunk instruction into 8-10 minutes with movement breaks between.

3. Use breaks in instruction to check for understanding

4. Offer noise-canceling headphones or private study space for assignments

Documenting Math Accommodations in the Classroom

As I finish this post, I want to emphasize the importance of documentation for any accommodations you provide your students - whether they are identified with special needs or not.

Even if the accommodations seem minor, it can be helpful to have a record of what worked (or didn't work) in the event that a student experiences difficulties in the future. Good documentation can help support your decisions if you ever need to advocate for your student or provide information to other educators working with them.

However, I know you're busy! That's why I've created an easy-to-use sheet to help you better track the accommodations you provide for Tier 1 & Tier 2 students. This can also be used to help you track any math interventions. You can grab this for free by entering your name and email below.

Additionally, I'd also recommend creating a code to document these for your grade book. For example, ET might code extra time. This can help parents better understand what is going on in the classroom and it can be useful if you need to meet with the campus MTSS team.

Whenever possible, it's also best to include parents in conversations about accommodations. First and foremost, they can provide critical information about what has worked in the past and be a part of decisions made for their child's math education. This can also help them better communicate with you about how homework is going or other things that may impact the child's needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope these accommodations help you create a successful math classroom for all your students. Remember, math is a process, and accommodations can help ALL students be successful in your class. Finally, enter your email below if you'd like my Student Support Document.

Check out these Great Resources for Building Math Skills

Finally, if you have questions about accommodations or want to share ideas, please leave a comment below! I'm always looking for new ways to support my students.

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The Ultimate List of Math Accommodations for Struggling Learners

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As a math teacher, you want all of your students to reach their highest potential. However, with increasingly diverse student needs in today's classrooms, it can be difficult to determine how to meet your learners where they are. This is where math accommodations come into play!

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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Toolkit-for-Students-Who-Struggle-with-Reading-Writing-or-Math-2571655

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Mathematics Intervention for Teachers | CDE

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Discover a flexible and engaging homeschooling curriculum designed for children with special needs. Tailor the learning experience to your child’s unique abilities with Time4Learning.

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Want your children with autism to succeed in math? Discover potential strategies, tips, and how Rise Up for Autism and our ABA therapy can help!

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Making Math Meaningful for Autistic Students

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Contributors: Sarah MillsInstructorSMInstructor: Sarah Mills Show more

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Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Science - Video | Study.com

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Discover effective differentiated instruction strategies for teaching science with this engaging video. Watch now and find out why Study.com has thousands of 5-star reviews!

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Teaching science requires more than merely imparting knowledge; it involves encouraging students' critical thinking skills, natural curiosity, and passion for science as a lifelong pursuit. To achieve these objectives, educators must adopt student-centered strategies that are highly engaging, demonstrate positive results on standardized tests, and promote the development of skills that can be applied to higher education and careers.

Hands-On Experiments

For young scientists, nothing is more captivating than hands-on investigations.

Teachers can encourage a deeper understanding of scientific ideas by giving students opportunities to manipulate objects, gather data, and observe outcomes (Sadi & Çakıroğlu, 2011).

Experiments that students carry out themselves encourage critical thinking, skills in solving problems, and a sense of ownership over the learning process.

Additionally, they foster opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, resulting in a stimulating learning environment in the classroom.

Real-World Connections

Making connections between scientific ideas and students' lived experiences can significantly increase student engagement (Akers, 2017).

One way for teachers to do this is by using case studies, videos, and news stories that show how scientific knowledge is used in real-world situations.

Field trips to research facilities, parks, or museums can give students first-hand experiences and reinforce the importance of science in their daily lives.

Teachers can also find those working in STEM fields and invite them to interact with students live or remotely.

Not only does this demonstrate to students how science is being used to solve real problems, but it can also encourage students to think about STEM careers, especially if you can find STEM professionals who reflect the makeup of your classroom. Interested teachers might start with Skype a Scientist, STEM Professionals in Schools, Engineers in Classrooms, or National Girls Collaborative Project.

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning places a high priority on the value of communication and peer engagement.

Teachers can create an inclusive and cooperative learning atmosphere by incorporating group projects, discussions, and group work into scientific lessons.

Using this strategy, students are encouraged to discuss issues, engage in meaningful debate, and assimilate different points of view.

Students' comprehension of scientific principles is improved through collaborative learning, which also helps them develop crucial interpersonal and communication skills (Laal & Ghodsi, 2012).

These are precisely the skills students need to pursue higher education and are sought after by employers.

Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning is an effective technique that motivates students to actively investigate scientific ideas via inquiry, investigation, and discovery.

Teachers can encourage autonomous thinking and pique students' curiosity by offering challenging topics and assisting them in designing experiments.

This method makes it easier for students to connect theoretical ideas to practical applications, which improves their comprehension, interest in the subject, and achievement on standardized assessments (Geier, Blumenfeld, Marx, Krajcik, Fishman, Soloway, & Clay‐Chambers, 2008).

Integration of Technology

A common concern of teachers in modern classrooms is the constant competition for student attention with technology.

Rather than fight against it, many teachers are learning to harness students' inevitable and strong affinity for their devices by integrating it into lessons.

Including technology in science lessons improves student engagement (Banitt, Theis, & Van Leeuwe, 2013) and expands the variety of learning opportunities.

Students can investigate scientific phenomena that might be difficult to access otherwise through virtual simulations, interactive web pages, and educational apps.

Additionally, technology makes data collection and analysis easier, enabling students to make decisions based on solid evidence.

Using digital tools, teachers can create engaging learning experiences for students, enhancing their comprehension of scientific ideas.

Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction is essential in science classes, given students' wide range of learning interests and skills.

All students can become actively engaged in lessons, provided they are designed to accommodate various modes of learning and comprehension levels.

Incorporating visual aids, auditory components, and hands-on exercises are among the methods used to achieve this, in addition to offering alternate assessments and additional resources.

Every student can feel acknowledged and empowered (Drapeau, 2021) when learning takes place in an inclusive atmosphere that makes use of differentiated instruction.

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is more than a simple strategy.

It's a highly-effective pedagogical approach to STEM education. What's more, the PBL approach derives its effectiveness by incorporating all the strategies described in the preceding paragraphs.

The projects that form the core of PBL are, by definition, hands-on learning experiences tied to real-world phenomena. These projects provide multiple opportunities over time for extended collaborative learning as students work together on inquiry-based investigations.

The cooperative groups that are the functional components of PBL allow for differentiated instruction as different team members take on roles that best suit their interests and skills.

Furthermore, the PBL approach provides many opportunities for the integration of technology as students use devices and work in digital environments to collect and analyze data, communicate, collaborate, and develop final products and presentations.

References

Akers, R. (2017). A journey to increase student engagement. Technology and Engineering Teacher, 76(5), 28.

Banitt, J., Theis, S., & Van Leeuwe, L. (2013). The effects of technology integration on student engagement.

Drapeau, P. (2021). Inspiring student empowerment: Moving beyond engagement, refining differentiation. Free Spirit Publishing.

Geier, R., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Fishman, B., Soloway, E., & Clay‐Chambers, J. (2008). Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in inquiry‐based science curricula in the context of urban reform. Journal of Research in Science

Teaching: The Official Journal of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, 45(8), 922-939.

Laal, M., & Ghodsi, S. M. (2012). Benefits of collaborative learning. Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 31, 486-490.

Sadi, Ö., & Çakıroğlu, J. (2011). Effects of hands-on activity enriched instruction on students' achievement and attitudes towards science.

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Student-centered strategies are highly engaging, demonstrate positive results on standardized tests, and promote the development of skills. Find out more!

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How Do I Make Lesson Planning of Science Simple & Focused?

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Teaching Science to Elementary Students | Tips & Strategy

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Get tips on making science fun for kids (ages 8-12). These 9 quick ideas will help your student succeed in elementary science, and prepare for the future.

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A Project-Based Approach to Teaching Elementary Science

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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Simple-Science-Experiment-Recording-Sheet-Freebie-1600430

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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Adapted-Modified-Gummy-Bear-Science-Lab-Special-Education-10593656

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General Social Study lessons and activies for students that need or want more help in specific lessons.

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Social Studies Activities And Lessons | PBS LearningMedia

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Discover thousands of social studies activities, lessons, and interactive resources for all grades, all aligned to state and national standards.

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Could be used as "guided notes" in addition to a lesson about maps and globes.

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Your students will practice following written instructions as they label, color, and draw on maps and globes in this printable book.

Concepts Included in this Book:
- Globe
- Compass Rose
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Continents
- Oceans

Simply fold the cover page and cut the 3 inside pages in half. Place the (now 6) inside pages inside the cover and staple. That's it!

For a more comprehensive map skills resource, check out this Map Skills Interactive Notebook.

Please view the thumbnails for more information about this item. If you have additional questions, please visit the "Ask a Question" tab in my TpT store.

Thank you for looking!
~Miss Martin

You may be interested in these other Social Studies products from Miss Martin:
A Complete Landforms Unit
50 States Student Workbook
50 States Printable Resource Books

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Maps and Globes - A Printable Book for Introducing or Reviewing Map Skills

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Maps and Globes - A Printable Book for Introducing or Reviewing Map Skills - Your students will practice following written instructions as they label, color, and draw on maps and globes in this printable book. Concepts Included in this Book: - Globe - Compass Rose - Latitude - Longitude - Continen...

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alternative worksheets for specific lessons that may be usesful for students struggling to obtain the lesson

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Award-winning educational materials like worksheets, games, lesson plans, and activities designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!

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Games for students that will actually help them learn while they think they are just playing fun games.

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Unleash your inner pioneer with our social studies games! Step right up to a carnival game to learn about states, or travel around the globe in a hot air balloon to learn about the wonders of the world!

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Unleash your inner pioneer with our social studies games! Join a carnival to learn the states or explore the world wonders in a hot air balloon. Play now!

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Hands on activity for students that can help them understand the lesson better.

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World Continents Activity Using Playdough

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Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity  of kids from babies to elementary level.

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small list of activies that could help in your social studies classroom

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tips on how to set up and manage small groups while teaching social studies effectively.

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Langer-Osuna, J. (2017). Authority, identity, and collaborative mathematics.

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Social Studies: Setting up and managing small group work – TeachingWorks Resource Library

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Small group work is an important part of social studies inquiry teaching and typically occurs in the “Experience” portion of an inquiry lesson. While working in small groups, students have the opportunity to examine sources, work together to make sense of them, listen to each other, and develop their thinking. Through small group work, students have the opportunity to talk, listen, and explore the materials of an investigation. In many ways, small group work is the core of inquiry in a classroom space. Setting up and managing small groups involves designing tasks that give students the opportunity to engage in meaningful content learning together, thinking carefully about how to form and arrange small groups, giving clear directions and expectations, coaching groups and providing other supports, and highlighting students’ strengths as they work. Forming small groups means paying close attention to who is in a small group and articulating why their presence is beneficial. It also means for the teacher, noticing students’ strengths and coaching them towards the learning goals while supporting students’ involvement in inquiry. Setting up and managing small group work involves careful orchestration and strategic decision making.

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Article about intergrating social studies to elementary school students.

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We need to have a frank talk about social studies in elementary classrooms. The good news is, we are. In fact, the recent National Council for Teachers of Social Studies conference had many sessions not only on the challenges of implementing a social studies curriculum but also on creative solutions. In addition, a recent report from the RAND corporation, " The Missing Infrastructure for Elementary (K-5) Social Studies Instruction," shares many of these challenges and makes recommendations for prioritizing social studies in elementary school. The full report is available for download, but here are some of the main conclusions.

State-level infrastructure varies widely and is missing in many states. The mechanisms include assessments, academic standards, and laws.

Local-level infrastructure in districts and schools is missing in relation to other core subjects, such as English language arts and math. In fact, there's less reported professional learning and accountability related to social studies.

Only half of elementary principals reported adoption of comprehensive curriculum materials, which is a key piece for other core subject areas.

Elementary schools that do in fact have curriculum materials, professional learning, and the like report a shared presence for social studies teaching practices.

States work to adopt more rigorous and consistent standards and frameworks.

State departments of education support and provide better transparency on high-quality social studies curriculum materials.

Districts provide support (professional development, teacher evaluation, etc.) targeted to social studies.

States determine how to hold schools accountable for improving student achievement in social studies.

As an educator, you most likely read these findings and thought, "Yes, those findings make sense," or "I've had a similar experience."You may have a feeling of helplessness and believe that all of those recommendations are outside your sphere of influence. You may even be thinking, "Well, there's nothing I can do."

Let's consider instead what educators at the classroom level can do, along with some resources to support it.

Integration with core content

While there are many levels and frameworks for integration, educators can do their best to make authentic and meaningful connections to social studies in the teaching of other core content. In fact, in 2017 the National Council for the Social Studies articulated integration as a valuable practice for social studies in elementary schools: "Integrating social studies throughout the day eases competition for time in an increasingly crowded curriculum. With a strong interdisciplinary curriculum, teachers find ways to promote children's competence in social sciences, literacy, mathematics, and other subjects within integrated learning experiences."

One key takeaway is that integration of social studies should be meaningful and not an extra-integration for integration's sake. Rather, as educators teach the various content areas, they can look for explicit moments to teach social studies concepts and skills. This isn't simply reading a social studies-themed text but instead adding explicit instruction on that theme or concept. The Council of Chief State School Officers offers some concrete integration practices, including selecting texts for integration that support social studies content learning and using said standards when planning for integration.

Tip: When planning a unit, start with the standards, and find authentic connection between social studies standards and other content standards.

Leverage open education resources

We're all looking for high-quality resources, and one of the challenges indicated in the Missing Infrastructure for Elementary (K-5) Social Studies Instruction report is access to those materials. Instead of paying for resources, many states and organizations have contributed to the Open Educational Resources Commons. Many states have their own "hubs" with resources that have been vetted and aligned to standards. Resources include lessons, videos, texts, handouts, and activities. All of these resources are free to access and can be customized to meet the needs of educators and students. This will help save time in planning and perhaps alleviate associated stress.

Tip: Search by standard in order to better ensure alignment. All the resources can be overwhelming, and those linked to standards are more likely to be of high quality.

Consider focused Inquiries

Inquiry can be viewed (sometimes rightfully) as an overwhelming and long process. Indeed, many inquiry-based practices, like project-based learning, involve extended inquiry overtime. If that's not possible, a more focused inquiry that's limited in time will allow you to explicitly engage in high-quality social studies teaching.

I slightly modified a second-grade New York state inquiry task titled, " Urban, Suburban, and Rural," aligned to the inquiry arc of the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework. It involves the following steps: (1) engaging students in an initial discussion on the support question, (2) examining the featured sources to write a performance task, and (3) a summative task where students apply their learning and continue to cite featured sources.

Focused inquiry on types of communities: How Would Our Lives Be Different If We Lived in a Different Kind of Community?

C3 Framework indicator: D2.Geo.2.K-2. Use maps, graphs, photographs, and other representations to describe places and the relationships and interactions that shape them.

Staging the question: Create individual or class brainstorm lists of how students' lives might be different if they lived in a different place.

Supporting question: How are communities different and alike?

Formative performance task: Write a paragraph describing three characteristics of the local community that are similar to or different from the comparison community.

Summative performance tasks: Argument: How would our lives be different if we lived in a different kind of community? Create an argument through a product of choice that addresses the question of how people's lives are affected by where they live. Use examples shared in class to support your ideas.

Extension/taking action: Research a challenge or problem in a different community and brainstorm ideas to help.

Featured sources: These are used to answer the supporting questions and are cited in the performance tasks.

Source A: An image bank (sourced from websites and/or curriculum materials): Daily life in urban, suburban, and rural communities

Source B: Teacher-gathered images of the students' community and other communities

If more time is allotted, educators can expand these inquiry experiences to include more primary sources with questions and formative tasks. C3 Teachers links to many state hubs that have many inquiries with multiple steps that include more primary sources and formative tasks. I share ideas about all these tasks in another article.

Tip: Avoid a "simple story"; these inquiries are not about getting the right answer per se, but instead about getting complex answers. This is possible with an effective choice of primary sources and a good question.

While these ideas don't completely alleviate the challenge that elementary social studies faces, they are small yet meaningful changes that educators can make to support student learning. They show what can be done, rather than instilling a feeling of helplessness in the face of many challenges that may feel out of your control. And it's a way to meaningfully advocate for high-quality social studies teaching in elementary schools. After all, education is about creating hope.

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Integrating Social Studies in Elementary School Lessons

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With school days so packed, these strategies help teachers integrate social studies concepts and skills across the curriculum.

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Article about learning stations in social studies classrooms.

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If you are still doing the old-school read through the chapter in the textbook method of teaching social studies, I implore you to please stop the insanity. Another win-win is doing learning stations, which is a fancy name for centers. Yet another tip I talked about in my " Art of the Social Studies Teacher Hustle" post was the name game. Give an activity a fancy name (kind of like learning stations versus centers) and it automatically makes it more interesting.

There are many different ways that you can set up stations in your classroom. And first off, this is not something that I would do every day. Sounds like a great Friday afternoon activity to me! I tried it a few ways. If I would have only taught Social Studies, I would have done stations more regularly. I had to squeeze in Science, too. I'm just telling you what worked for me in hopes that it will spark ideas for what can work for you with your current roster of kiddos! It varies depending on your class and the current content. You may have a class with multiple behavior problems which limits your ability to do hands-on stuff. And it is perfectly acceptable to have one student (or more!) not participate. Their station can be a traditional workbook. Don't think I didn't go there. I did!
Model 1: Guided Social Studies/Workshop Model
The " Guided Social Studies" method was structured like I had done Math Workshop in the past. I started with a 15 minute mini lesson followed by 45 minutes of station time. This was split into 3 rotations of 15 minutes. This was the ideal theory, in practice did not always happen! I split the kids into 3 groups. My class size was 24ish so worked out to be about 8. I would not suggest more than 8 kids in a rotation.

The three stations were: a teacher-led small group, a partner activity or small group game, and the other was independent seat work (sit down and be quiet kind of thing). The partner activity was always something that was a review. New content would be introduced in the small group with the teacher. The independent station would usually be something for a grade that was due that week.
Disclaimer-I did let certain kids sit on the floor for independent work as a bribe occasionally. Oops, I mean incentive. It works, trust me!
Whatever I planned for the partner/small group was something that didn't really matter if it was finished. It was usually review or extra practice. That way if needed the "loud" activity got the boot!! And another reason was I welcomed students who needed more help to stay at the guided station with me more than one round. Often a second go clarified the content! I had some kids sit through all three times!! And sometimes the kids wouldn't feel comfortable physically staying there but would choose to sit super close by where my station was so they could listen in. That was fine with me!
#spoiler I have also done choice boards and menus and a whole slew of other options. We don't want to border into War and Peace territory with the content in this post so stand by for more on that!
But wait...there's more......you can do this with primary students, too!! I unexpectedly ended up teaching 1 st grade a few years ago and you better believe I did stations with them, too! The format was usually teacher activity, technology, and partner matching cards, etc. Buddy reading content related books was a very popular station idea, too! Lots of times I combined Daily 5 with Social Studies content. See this short video below for an example! You can find the Founding Fathers and Me Cards by clicking the picture under it.

Founding Fathers and Me Cards: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Founding-Fathers-and-Me-Sorting-Cards-3533734

Model 2: "Floating Teacher"
The other model I used was to have five or six stations and I would float. This was awesome when I had a student teacher! I would kind of feel out which one needed the most explanation to start. Or I would just spend time traveling to keep the kids productive!! If you do this many stations, you can plan on taking a couple of days for the students to get through all of them. Hey, and this way you have lesson plans done for multiple days! I chose this option like when I bought a set a stations on Teachers Pay Teachers that included 5 activities!
General Station Procedures
I didn't use any kids of fancy pants Pinterest-worthy rotation. For SS, it isn't as necessary to have targeted small groups. However, students who struggle with reading will obviously need more help. Literacy and SS go hand in hand. So I would often use table groups or mix/match based on behavior. I would usually just write the stations on the board and write a number beside it. I think one year I had a piece of poster board with Velcro numbers I would rotate. I would just have a signal or flip the lights when it was almost time to rotate and I would have the stations numbered and they were just rotate clockwise. I even sometimes used a clip from the song Pause by Pitbull as a 2 minute countdown. Just more fun that way haha!!
2019 Update: I made a Google Slide with the stations and embedded a YouTube Timer and projected it on the smartboard. I put a kid in charge of managing it! Especially ELL Station Ideas
A great idea for stations for English language learners is always a technology station if possible! If you look at the list of helpful websites in the last post of the series you'll see several ideas for sites that any student could be on during social studies. If you need suggestions for Social Studies sites, of course I have a bazillion and one on here. Just use the search bar above!

buddy reading picture books

readers' theatre scripts

matching cards

sequencing event cards

labeling maps

drawing a battle scene

Integrated Thematic Stations
Sometimes you have to think outside the box....everyyyydayyyyyy if it wasn't @fortnite , it was football my 5th grade boys of my 2018-2019 wanted to talk about. So I decided that in honor of the Superbowl we would have Football Friday stations. And to make it work for those kiddos that could care less about football, I threw in some Atlanta stuff and other landmark/geography! I pulled a huge stack of books from the library for a buddy reading station and supplemented it with some cool atlases. We are also doing a web quest, landmark research, and a cool persuasive writing freebie I found from@wiseguystpt! I decided that if any students don't want to write about that topic, they can write about whether or not schools should make the Monday after the big day a holiday or not.

I did these stations differently. There were 8 in all and I basically gave the class all day that Friday and Monday to work on them. I gave them a basic Google Doc just to highlight and had them put all station work in an envelope to make things easier. I gave the students suggested timeline for how long each station should take and gave guidance for starting points.

Football Stations:
I also did special Veterans' Day stations which you can see here:

Check out the rest of the blog series here: The ideas in this blog series are the framework of my e-book. Click the picture to check it out!

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Using Learning Stations in Social Studies

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If you are still doing the old-school read through the chapter in the textbook method of teaching social studies, I implore you to please stop the insanity. Another win-win is doing learning stations, which is a fancy name for centers.

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Video to incorporate in your social studies lessons to help different types of learners

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Communities for Kids - Types of Communities | Social Studies for Kids | Kids Academy

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Social study AAC coreboard for different communication methods

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PECS History Social Studies AAC Coreboard Communication Book | TPT

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Mini coloring and story book to incorporate different types of learning.

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Social Studies Story (Veterans Day): Color-N-Read Mini Book by Meagan Church

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My school uses this as our special education curriculum. It gives different lessons in a variety of ways for students with special needs

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Special Education Social Studies Curriculum - enCORE Lesson Plans

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Discover TeachTown’s specialized social studies curriculum and lesson plans, designed to inspire and educate in special education settings.

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Another curriculum helper or guide to teaching special needs students social studies. These include PECs, worksheets, coloring pages, activities, and more

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There are so many functional and important topics within the social studies umbrella that it made me so excited to get started on creating the social studies curriculum. Working on map skills, traffic signs, cities, community helpers, needs and wants are all such essential topics to learn about. These concepts can target social studies and literacy while teaching life skills. When we think we don't have time for social studies - just remember - this isn't just social studies. This is life skills instruction and literacy instruction. Can't beat that.

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Social Studies Leveled Daily Curriculum - The Autism Helper

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There are so many functional and important topics within the social studies umbrella that it made me so excited to get started on creating the social studies curriculum. Working on map skills, traffic signs, cities, community helpers, needs and wants are all such essential topics to learn about.

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Helpful video on how to create IEP goals for special ed social studies.

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IEP Goals for Social Studies - Video | Study.com

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An individualized education plan (IEP) is designed to meet the educational needs of students with special needs. Explore how to develop and…