reaching all my students

Rebecca,

You are very right that it is difficult to manage multiple levels, and it certainly isn’t the ideal situation for teaching or learning. In math especially, I see no choice but to individualize as far as fundamantal skills go. You do have to figure out a way to make sub-groups if possible, and have some do one activity while you work with others in a small group or individually. I have used Steck-Vaughn books many times and they have worked well as one component. My kids always liked computer math games for practice, too.

Janis

Trying to work with students at their individual levels is always the right thing to do, especially in math.

What a great teacher you are! Your students are fortunate to have you.

You say such sweet things. Thanks I needed some motivation, as you can tell I am trying to figure out a lot of things and it is stressing me out. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )

I don’t know the particular series you are talking about, but yes, you can teach totally individualized programs, and with the group you have, it’s the only thing that will be really educational. First get good books at the actual level of the students — and this is often not the level reported on their school reports. Start a way back, so they will have mastered 90% or more of the material at the level where you start them off; but be careful of going too far back — you don’t want to bore them; aim at the last section they mastered. Then start them working independently in their books and move around the class marking work, praising progress, answering questions, and explaining new topics as the students reach them. Once this gets going you work into a rhythm, since of course each student will hit a new topic at a different time. Be careful not to leave out the withdrawn one in the corner; get to him daily and mark his work and ask if he understands the next page. With eight students you can spend at least a few minutes with each one every day. When you get to a really new topic, and a couple of kids are on similar levels, you can make a spontaneous group and teach two or three together while the others go on with their own topics. This requires a good series that is fairly self-explanatory, and the energy on your part to keep moving, but it can be productive. I’ve done it myself with a class of 21, of whom three were gifted and three or four LD (normal range in other words).

Victoria has made a very good point. When I taught multi-level math, I always began by using the Brigance Inventory of Basic Skills to find out exactly where they were in math. Not just grade level…but could they subtract three digit numbers with regrouping, and that kind of thing. That way we could go directly to the skills they were ready for rather than doing a whole book that might not be appropriate. Another way I did this when I used workbooks like Spectrum Math or Steck-Vaughn was to have the children do each chapter test before beginning the book (not writing in the book, of course), and from there I could identify the exact skills they did not know and we skipped the skills they did already know (other than a few for review). I always went around and gave immediate correction to their papers, so that I could see if a little instruction was needed. Really, in middle school I think I’d concentrate more on getting the basic skills and save things like the checkbook until high school.

Janis

Rebecca,

Your students are lucky to have you. I can assure you kids know when someone is truly wanting to help them and will work for you.

Good job!