Need some math advice for multi-grade SDC ASAP. Thanks!

With the diversity in functional level you may find it best to implement learning centers for math. As you are doing DT for one group the others may be at the learning centers - then you simply rotate.

I teach LD and ED in an elementary resource room (4th and 5th graders). Functional math ranges go from 1 to 4. I used Saxon Math last year but this year I’m going with the sequential lesson plans developed by the Georgia Department of Education. They have a lot of interaction and use of manipulatives. I also use learning centers for math.

Hope this helps,

Chuck

Welp, it sort of sounds like an impossible situation; they need to be grouped, but that doesn’t work.
IS there another teacher in the school who does group successfully? It sounds like there’s something about planning & implementing it that maybe you could pick up from another teacher. (It’s also possible that there are other reasons it wouldn’t work in your situation — somethign as simple as the students simply not being able to work independenlty. However, if that’s the case, that would be The Skill I would work on with them — consciously and with their participation (possibly even “rewards” for it, depending on how behavior management goes).
Most kids get horribly ripped off in math instruction. My rule of thumb would be to try to “do no harm” — at *least* have them doing something well in math, and not believing that it’s something wrong with them that’s keeping them from learning it (instead of a classroom setting that means they don’t get the instruciton they need).
I’d also look hard for activities that could be explored at different levels working with the same materials (subtraction has many differnet levels).

I was actually looking at reading materials today and discovered a new math program that looks quite good for special ed. I’d be interested to hear if anyone tries it.

http://www.mathmakessense.com/

Janis

re: “Math Makes Sense” program: I took a look at the program description and as much as possible of the sample pages. Here are my personal opinions of what I could see:

Philosophy: A
Planning: A
Mathematical understanding: B (good but a little too focused on details, easy to lose forest for the trees)
Pedagogy: C from what I saw, incomplete view.
A lot of the sample work contained exercises that have gimmicks to present an idea. While the activities are *not* wrong, they tend to lead students to look at gimmicks rather than big picture, actually contradicting the philosophy of the program. I would have to see the whole book and use it for a while with a student before being able to give a detailed opinion.
Presentation: B
The idea of a single workbook with plenty of varied practice is excellent. However a hardcover text has many advantages too, especially for older students., who will need to transfer in middle or high school.

Overall, B

I would definitely like to get a closer look at this program and even have a student I might like to get it for.

Landmark Schools have a math program, too (go to the “outreach/publication” part of t heir website).

I taught SDC math for seven years and the best program I found was Peer Associated Learning System (PALS) from Vanderbelt University. It comes in 8 grade levels for around $25 a level. It teaches kids to work together and gives step by step directions for everything. It seems hard to manage at first, but once you get going it really isn’t so bad. It is meant to be used two or three times a week for about 45 minutes. It teaches social skills as well as math and works on many different levels. I truly loved it.