|
Problems in math can result for students who
- have trouble processing what they see (visual-spatial
difficulties),
- have trouble processing and making sense of what they
hear (language processing difficulties),
- have trouble focusing (attention difficulties),
- have trouble remembering,
- have fine motor problems that make it hard to write
clearly, and
- are English learners and may not be able to devote full
attention to content.
Common strategies for helping these
students can be accomplished using technology including:
- Teaching in authentic and meaningful contexts.
- Repeated reinforcement and specific practice.
- Aids for students who have difficulty organizing ideas
on paper.
- Finding different ways to approach math facts.
- Breaking instruction into smaller components.
- Giving students choices about how to do their
work.
Specific tools include:
- Computer-based
manipulatives, including converters, calculators, and more
- Equation
editors
- On-line
lessons, and games
For those with
difficulty writing or lining up problems, working in a
word processor or spread sheet makes things much clearer. As digital
text, the problems can also be enlarged, color-coded, or highlighted.
Some of the
tools are multi-sensory, including animation and colorful
graphics, appealing to visual and auditory learners.
Computer-based
lessons can present information in small chunks,
allowing the user to control the speed. Many meet the needs of
kinesthetic learners by providing hands-on exploration. They can all be
used with physical manipulatives, as well as pencil and paper.
|
Subtopics
