General Math Strategies (page 2)

General Math Strategies To Improve Accuracy & Performance (Part 2)

  • Use rule books.  Have your client to keep a notebook in which he/she writes math rules in his own words. 
    • Encourage them to use rule books with assignments by looking up the rule in the book and talking about it. 
    • Rule books could have a math vocabulary section and a strategy section for recording “tricks” that help with the calculations, e.g, steps in long division, BEDMAS, FOIL, etc.
  • Give your client opportunities to connect mathematical concepts to some practical aspect of everyday living. 
    • For example, addition, subtraction, and multiplication are common mathematical operations that one would use while shopping in a grocery store.
  • Teach Math vocabulary. Math dictionaries are available at many book stores. Concrete examples will help to facilitate understanding.
  • Students could develop their own math dictionary involving a verbal definition of the vocabulary word and a picture, where appropriate.
  • Stress the importance of mathematics as a life skill through the use of real-life situations where math is involved.
  • Have math literature:  ex. counting books, number books, mathematical concepts books, etc. as part of the reading center in order to link mathematics to reading and writing.
  • It is important, where possible, to provide students with immediate and specific feedback for correct and incorrect responses.
  • Provide examples and non-examples and discuss why certain answers are correct or incorrect.
  • Highlight similar operations using similar colours on a page to reduce confusion of sign usage by students. Use visual cues (e.g. stop signs or red dots) on the paper when student must change operations.
  • Modeling of teachers thought processes or use of a think-aloud process.
  • Reduce the number of problems assigned on a page or enlarge the problems.
  • Use dice, coins, cards and games (Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks).
  • Encourage the student to initial the bottom of his/her workbooks or pages to indicate that they have double checked their work.
  • Have your client complete targeted questions which address the concept being taught and not all of the questions on an assigned page.
  • Explore the use of Chisanbop math.
  • Explore the use of TouchMath.

Rhyme or Music Strategy

An additional strategy that may be used by children who have well-developed oral language skills, but trouble with rote recall, is rhyme or music.

Flash cards are made for practicing any unknown facts. The problem and the first line of a poem are written on one side of the card, and the solution and the last line of the poem are written on the flip side. Cards are then appropriately illustrated. Students in a classroom may customize their cards by creating the rhymes and drawing the subsequent illustrations:

■ 8 x 7 can be done with sticks, (2) until you know that it’s 56.
■ 8 x 4 forgot what to do, (2) so she called up number 32.
■7 x 7 was never on time, (2) until he ran into Mr. 49.