Math Strategies to Support Attention Difficulties

General Strategies

Describe the arithmetic calculation to the student in words.
- First, present an overview of the type and purpose of the operation to orient the student. Describe and emphasize the steps of the operation and then relate these parts to the whole operation.
- At this point in the intervention process, the primary goal is to have the student come to a point where they can describe the mathematical procedure verbally.

Work expectations should be reduced. Emphasize quality of work rather than quantity. Break work into smaller chunks using highlighters or markers.

Students with math difficulties and attentional weaknesses need to work on math problems in an organized, step-by-step manner. Skills must be taught specifically and sequentially to reduce careless errors and inconsistent work.

Students should be encouraged to identify a plan for solving a problem and to articulate their plan before starting the actual solution.

Students who work too quickly can be encouraged to take more time to solve each computation. Remind them that they have to do fewer items than others, so they can afford to take their time.

Students should be encouraged to subvocalize while working. Such verbal mediation helps focus attention on work and thus improve accuracy. Encourage students to check all their work carefully. This can be done mechanically or with a calculator.

Present the steps involved in the chosen mathematical operation in complete detail. Make certain that each step is described verbally.
- For example, in the case of a multiplication question, you could say, “Step 1 involves naming the mathematical sign; Step 2 is to move your gaze and hand to the right side of the question,” and so on.

Once the student seems reasonably well acquainted with the steps involved in arriving at a correct solution for a particular type of mathematical operation, require the student to state clearly the steps involved in the operation.

Require the student to write out the rules for that particular operation. After these have been checked for accuracy, allow the student to use this “recipe” as long as it is required. In conjunction with this “cookbook approach,” encourage the student to rehearse the steps orally under their breath.

When the verbal steps involved in a particular procedure have been mastered, it is then time to work through a sample calculation by having the student direct the teacher verbally using the step-by-step process.

The teacher might provide concrete (physical) aids (e.g., number boards, etc.) now and/or later in the remedial process to introduce the underlying mathematical concept. This may prove to be one of the most difficult aspects of remediation for some students.

Have the student attempt some trial questions of the type that has been learned. It may be helpful to have them work on graph paper to minimize the possibility that graphomotor problems (e.g., crowding of the work) and problems with spatial orientation (e.g., misaligning columns of numbers) will cause errors.

Have the student attempt some trial questions of the type that has been learned. It may be helpful to have him/her work on graph paper to minimize the possibility that graphomotor problems (e.g., crowding of the work) and problems with spatial orientation (e.g., misaligning columns of numbers) will cause errors.

If it is needed, colour-code the student’s graph paper to aid the student with left-right discrimination.
- For example, there could be a red border on the right side of the page and a green border on the left side of the page.

Encourage the student to read each question aloud quietly under his/her breath before beginning any mathematical operation. This should minimize the chance that the student misses visual detail in the question or in the answer. When it is certain that the student is competent in this skill, have the student read the questions and answers to themselves before going on to the next question.

Have a hand calculator available for the student to check the accuracy of his/her answers. If the student finds that the answer is different from that produced by careful and competent use of the hand calculator, they should then be required to rework the question by hand, looking for the error(s).