Instructional Strategies for Math by Carlie Salud

Effective Instructional Strategies to Teach Math

csalud24 — 2025-02-11 04:04:29 UTC

Everyone can learn math! Here are some effective, evidence-based strategies and resources to teach a variety of math concepts to students who may struggle or have barriers learning math.

Why Effective, Evidence-Based Math Strategies are Important

csalud24 — 2025-02-11 04:04:29 UTC

Evidence-based instructional strategies and activities are important in learning math as a way to accommodate and help bridge the gap between struggling learners and students on grade level. Using strategies such as manipulatives, modeling, visuals, explicit instruction, and scaffolded supports are crucial in supporting students that have barriers in retaining basic math facts, understanding fractions, geometry, and word problems. Sherman, Richardson, and Yard (2019) discuss the ways in which strategies that consider all aspects of student's instructional needs can be more beneficial in addressing the needs of "dissimilar learners" and can lead to greater academic success for all students. Instruction and student engagement in mathematics should include methods of building on prior knowledge, making connections between rules and conceptual understanding, increase confidence, foster a growth mindset, offer challenging and interesting problems, and encourage students to share their reasoning and ideas in a positive environment (Sherman, Richardson, & Yard, 2019).

Sherman, H. J., Richardson, L. I., & Yard, G. J. (2019). Teaching Learners Who Struggle with Mathematics: Responding with Systematic Intervention and Remediation (4th ed.). Waveland Press, Inc.. https://insite.vitalsource.com/books/9781478639039

Word Problems

csalud24 — 2025-02-11 04:09:43 UTC

Math word problems provide a story or scenario using words instead of numbers or equations. In order to solve word problems, students are required to read and identify key information in order to choose which mathematical operation to use in solving. Word problems in math instruction can help students progress not only their math skills, but also their problem-solving strategies and ability to apply reasoning and logic in real-life settings. Teachers can provide instructional strategies for diverse learners such as scaffolded supports, modeling, using visual supports, and practicing core math fact vocabulary in order for all students to be able to understand and solve word problems.

Geometry

csalud24 — 2025-02-11 04:10:05 UTC

Geometry is a core foundational math concept focused on shapes, sizes, and properties of space around us. Some key concepts of geometry include defining/drawing shapes and their attributes, identifying lines, points and angles of shapes, learning about perimeter, area, and volume, and working with graphs and coordinates. Using evidence-based instructional strategies can help all students with diverse learning styles and abilities be able to access efficient methods of retaining, engaging, and problem solving geometry concepts.

Basic Facts

csalud24 — 2025-02-11 04:10:57 UTC

Basic math facts are foundational to learning and understanding mathematics. Basic math facts are known as computations of the four basic math operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Teachers can provide evidence-based activities to support diverse learners in becoming fluent in basic math facts to better retain and apply it to all math concepts by using visual supports, manipulatives, fun and engaging games, vocabulary definitions/cards, and worksheets that help practice these foundational math operations.

Fractions as Numbers

csalud24 — 2025-02-11 04:12:27 UTC

Fractions as numbers are an important math concept that represent parts of a whole. They show how many parts of a certain size and quantity we have. They are made up of two main components: a numerator (the top number that tells us how many parts of a whole we are looking at) and a denominator (the bottom number that tells us the amount of equal parts the whole is divided into). When learning about fractions, students also must learn about other math concepts related to them such as decimals, ratios, and percentages. Fractions, decimals, ratios, and percentages can be difficult for some students to grasp so it is crucial that teachers are providing evidence-based instructional strategies that encourage and engage students to progress their skills. Using fun evidence-based activities such as stories, poems, plays, manipulatives such as food or play-dough, and visuals to support students are so important in helping students remember and really understand these foundational skills.

Word Problem Attack Strategy: CUBES

csalud24 — 2025-02-12 05:04:56 UTC

This strategy can be helpful for students who are struggling to grasp the foundational math concept of word problems. Fun acronyms such as CUBES can help students easily remember the steps in solving a word problem and focus on comprehending the problem first. By breaking down the steps of word problems, students can take time to read and better understand the problem and have a clearer idea of how to solve.

https://www.theaverageteacher.com/word-problem-strategies/

Word Problem Vocabulary Sorts

csalud24 — 2025-02-12 05:18:13 UTC

This resource and instructional strategy of word problem vocabulary cards or LEGO bricks can help students better understand the words used in word problems so that they can become more fluent in determining which math operation is needed to solve word problems.

Word Problems Draw a Picture

csalud24 — 2025-02-12 05:35:00 UTC

These worksheets ask students to problem solve a variety of word problems with 3 steps to help guide their learning: circling the "math words", self-reflection on whether or not they understand the problem or wording, and to demonstrate their understanding through multiple ways (drawing pictures and/or using words).

Word Problem Number Sentence

csalud24 — 2025-02-12 05:44:06 UTC

This is a digital resource that provides students with visuals of word problems and asks them to break down the problem using a number sentence before solving.

Word Problem Comparison Words Instructional Strategy

csalud24 — 2025-02-12 05:49:37 UTC

April Karl demonstrates a great strategy in teaching students who struggle with comparison vocabulary in math word problems by utilizing comparison mats and colored counter manipulatives to solve problems. She underlines and highlights key comparison vocabulary such as "more" and "fewer" throughout her explicit instruction as a way to support students in identifying how to solve problems.

Trace and Color 2D Shapes

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 04:30:57 UTC

These worksheets allow students to build their foundational knowledge of shapes by tracing the name of the shape, the shape, and coloring them.

Name the Shapes

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 04:33:18 UTC

These worksheets provide visuals, a word bank, and the first letter of each shape to help guide students in identifying the names of each shape.

Matching Shapes to Real Life Objects

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 04:35:26 UTC

Students can use their personal experience and real life objects to connect and help them better understand 3D shapes.

Classify the Type of Angle

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 04:39:12 UTC

Here is a website resource that teachers can utilize in their classrooms to help students practice classifying the different angles with the help of visuals. It provides two options for learning how to classify angles, either individually or with step by step modeling and support.

Helpful Manipulatives for Geometry

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 04:42:54 UTC

Manipulatives are a great tool to use when teaching students who may struggle to grasp geometry concepts and gives them a hands on approach to learning.

Basic Facts: Fluency with Addition and Subtraction Worksheets

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 16:44:37 UTC

These worksheets help students practice basic fact knowledge and the progression of the worksheets lets students practice and demonstrate their knowledge with less and less support.

Basic Facts Activities for Addition, Subtraction, Division, and Multiplication

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 16:55:02 UTC

Here are some evidence-based activities that provide students with practice in learning basic facts according to common core standards that are essential in progressing their skills.

Multiplication Dice Game

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:02:01 UTC

Part of learning basic facts is multiplication, which can be hard for students with barriers in learning to retain. This fun hands on approach of a dice game allows students to take turns multiplying, share their knowledge, and work with peers to memorize these math facts.

Math Facts Bingo

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:10:14 UTC

Teachers can utilize this website in whole group instruction or during small groups. This resource incorporates many choices and modes to play in. Students can choose to play bingo with multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, or all 4. In addition, there are 3 different skill levels so students can choose easy, medium, or hard and work their way up as they practice and progress their math fluency.

Using Dominoes to Make Math Facts Fun

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:29:34 UTC

Here is a video that shows students how to apply the strategies of using doubles, making ten, and counting-on to solve addition and subtraction problems using dominoes. After watching the video and playing with the dominoes, students will be able to increase their skills to subitize and perceive the number of dots on a domino without having to count.

Fraction Problems Packet

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:34:57 UTC

Teachers can use this fractions packet in their instruction. This packet teaches key fraction vocabulary, provides many exercises, helpful hints and strategies to solve, and allows students to practice their skills of working with fractions as numbers. It begins with the basics of fractions and as students learn and practice more, they progress in the difficulty of fraction computations as well as ways they can apply their foundational math skills and fluency of basic facts.

Fractions Funny Stories

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:39:11 UTC

This book makes fractions more accessible to both teachers and students and provides a fun way that students can learn important fractional concepts while using stories, poems, plays, and parodies that help them connect fractions to real-life situations.

Playdough Fractions

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:46:43 UTC

This short video shows an activity that teachers can utilize in their classrooms as a way for students to better understand fractions. The video provides explicit instruction by modeling, defining and identifying fraction vocabulary, and the use of manipulatives (playdough) as a way to figure out the parts of a whole.

Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages Anchor Chart

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 17:59:32 UTC

An instructional strategy that can double as a great resource for students is to hang anchor charts around the classroom. Fractions, decimals, and percentages can be difficult to remember for some students so having an anchor chart as a visual for students to refer to can be really beneficial.

Polygon Shape Sort

csalud24 — 2025-02-14 23:14:20 UTC

This worksheet and activity involves students cutting out and sorting shapes, specifically polygons, and discussing their attributes.

Coloring Fractions Worksheet

csalud24 — 2025-02-16 03:58:07 UTC

This worksheet helps students learn and practice familiarizing themselves with fractions by coloring the shapes. Coloring fractions and shapes helps support students who may have barriers learning with just verbal instruction or by just looking at fractions as numbers.

Pizza Fractions

csalud24 — 2025-02-16 04:08:05 UTC

This fun activity uses pizza as a way to learn and practice using fractions through coloring, spinning a paperclip, graphing pizza fractions, rolling pizza and fraction dice, and other cut out pizza fraction manipulatives that can help students to visualize and remember different ways to count the parts of a whole.

Choose the Operation Worksheet (Addition and Subtraction)

csalud24 — 2025-02-16 04:25:28 UTC

This worksheet is an example of ways students can practice their skills in figuring out which operation to use when solving word problems. It asks students to first read the word problem. Then students are asked to circle which operation, addition or subtraction, to use in solving. After they figure out which operation to use, students will write out the number sentence/equation and solve the problem.

Mighty Owl Video Word Problem Solving

csalud24 — 2025-02-16 04:32:47 UTC

This video can be utilized in classrooms or at home as a way to teach students the steps in solving word problems with accommodations and supports such as visuals and modeling.

Fractions as Numbers Sample Activities

csalud24 — 2025-02-16 05:40:56 UTC

These 4 activities incorporate evidence-based practices for intensive intervention and support students in learning fractions. It outlines different activities and ways in which teachers can use explicit instruction during them through modeling, guided practice, and positive and constructive feedback to help students in learning and understanding how to solve fraction equations.