Let's Talk About Math Intervention, Part 3

Let’s Talk About MATH INTERVENTION, Part 3!

Hi again, thanks for coming back to the final post in this 3-part series.  Over the last two posts, we’ve discussed WHY we need between-the-bells math intervention, and HOW we can structure our math block to deliver it.  Here let’s address WHAT materials we could use to best benefit our students. 

Finding what you’re going to use during intervention is actually the easiest part, and it’s probably in your classroom already!  As I said before, Math isn’t working for some of our students and that we need to mix it up and try something different, find a different way to teach what they need.

If I were a primary-grades teacher and wanting to implement this intervention style in my class, here is what I would do.  If our adopted materials have been used in both instruction and reteaching, and my students were still unsuccessful, I’d find another way to teach it- I’d go outside of the program.  This doesn’t mean go willy-nilly online purchasing items on Teachers Pay Teachers or at the local school supply store- I will not back you up on that and your administration probably won’t, either.  Let me be crystal clear- it requires very purposeful selection of materials based on the needs of your particular students. 

Maybe I have a game my students used to play from our previous adoption that did a great job at helping students understand this concept.  Perhaps someone on my team has a resource they used to use that was very successful.  I may go down a grade level or two in Eureka resources and use a strategy they missed or weren’t ready for when it was taught in that grade like fact families using number bonds or tape diagrams.  I might have them on the computer or iPad working on assigned content in Zearn, Khan Academy, iXL, or MobyMax.  If you have a parent helper you trust with a small group, put them to good use and have them work with that group!  Kindergarten, now that you’re full-day, you have helpers.  My fingers are crossed for you that they are AWESOME and you can have them pull a small group here!  Maybe they’re using Wikki-Stix to make numbers or create triangles.  Maybe they are making a collage to show the number 5. 

In the case of my upper-grade kiddos, they needed primary concepts.  Middle school teachers, you can probably relate to this as well.  For these guys, I gave a lot of thought to how I was going to reach big kid-learners with little-kid concepts without them feeling like little kids.  Would the teddy bear counters be too “babyish?”  Would kids feel like I was being condescending and not want to participate, even though they desperately needed it?  I knew I wasn’t going to go to an algorithm or shortcut, which would be the equivalent of putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound.  It may help for a little while, but it’s not a permanent fix.  I could go back in Eureka math and see how these concepts are taught now.  In the case of this year’s class, I decided that wasn’t going to be my best option so I chose to work with concrete items and other resources I know to be successful.  I pulled the Marcy Cook tiles and cards out and dusted them off.  I grabbed my Kim Sutton books and found opportunities for student learning.  I dug out the Greg Tang pack from the last math adoption and found great stuff that would help.  I pulled out my bins of base-ten blocks.  I looked through my John Van de Walle books for strategies to use in addition to the ones taught in Eureka.  I signed the students up in Khan Academy and found lessons each individual needed to work on.  And, I’m still adding to my repertoire in response to what my students are showing me they need.

All the while, my on-level and above-level students are having their needs met as well.   In their centers or on their must-do/may-do list, they may be working on problems from the problem set that are higher level DOK questions.  They’re playing a game that is extending their learning.  They’re in a media station on iXL practicing content.  They’re creating anchor charts or posters to show their understanding of the concept.  Perhaps instead of a must-do/may-do list, they have a menu for the week, incorporating choice and novelty into their math time.  They’re not doing more, they’re doing different.  Click HERE for a list of materials I've used. Please check with your administration to make sure they would support you in using these materials before starting out.

So, those are my thoughts about achieving a between-the-bells math intervention through small group instruction in the general-ed math classroom, for now.  I know I didn’t touch on everything, and this isn’t the end of this conversation, but it is the end of this trio of posts.  :)  I do believe this is a serious situation that needs to be addressed above and beyond the classroom level, but you starting it is a step in the right direction.  Is taking something like this on overwhelming?  Absolutely.  I’ve been planning on doing a version of Guided Math for awhile now.  My advice is to start slow!  One day a week or every two weeks.  But I implore you to consider it and start, and here’s my passionate plea in the name of equity.    

As a society, we value being able to read and write, hence the push for literacy.  We do RTI for reading, we have workshops for parents on how to help their children with reading, there are TV and radio commercials about the importance of reading with children.  At the same time though, not being a “math person” or not being good at math is acceptable in our society.  We aren’t okay with verbal illiteracy, but we are okay with math illiteracy?  By not offering an intervention in math during the school day, are we okay-ing failure in math?  Building in time for math intervention should be a priority in our schools to start eliminating this double standard.

If you try any of these ideas out, or come up with your own even cooler ones, I would seriously love to hear how it’s working out! The good, the bad, the ugly, I want to know.  Comment below and keep us in the loop!  Need help?  I’m here, my email is at the bottom.  Want to see my math block while guided math is happening?  Schedule a Spotlight visit, I’d love to meet you and be a part of your journey. 

Mathematically yours,

Sabrina Blake

sabrina.blake@omsd.net