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Paul Nolting, noted authority on teaching mathematics to students with
learning disabilities, notes that studying and learning mathematics
is a very different process than studying for other courses. Because
of the linear and sequential nature of mathematics, students must master
the concepts presented on Monday before they can begin to comprehend
the material presented on Wednesday. Mathematics requires that students
not only learn material, but they must also be able to apply the material.
Nolting, in his books Winning With Math and The Effects of
Counseling and Study Skills Training on Mathematics Academic Achievement,
suggests the following teaching strategies:
- Teach new concepts in small steps.
- Teach students to break down problems into small steps.
- Encourage students to draw diagrams and pictures.
- Use manipulatives whenever possible.
- Insist that the process of solving a problem as well as the results
be reviewed
when solving problems.
- Let students discuss rules and procedures whenever possible and
encourage students to put these concepts in their own words.
- Use clear, uncrowded copies of handouts.
- Encourage students to recite new concepts and formulas.
- Use flow charts or diagrams to illustrate rules and procedures.
- Use different colors to emphasize parts of a math problem.
- Encourage students to silently verbalize each step of the problem
they are solving.
- Limit the number of oral directions.
- Encourage students to over-learn material. In math classes, students
must be able to not only recall information, but also to apply this
information to mathematical problems.
- Require math comprehension journals where students learn to monitor
their own comprehension. Students write, "What have I learned
today?" in their journals after each class period so they can
learn to identify gaps in their comprehension.
- Encourage students to use note cards to keep track of formulas,
concepts, or difficult problems. On one side of the note card, the
student can write the problem. On the back of the note card, the student
can write how to work the problem.
- Encourage students to use notecards to translate algebraic equations
into English. On one side of the notecard, put the equation. On the
other side of the notecard, put the English equivalent.
- Encourage students to develop a chart that "translates"
algebraic expressions into English words. For example, X + 10 becomes
ten more than X.
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