I am a tutor for adults in a GED program. A student is able to reply without hesitation when multiplication is presented in flashcard format or on the board. When asked to apply this at her desk she forgets everything.
Her writing of problems in very haphazard, making copying errors, verbalizing what she is doing shows a lot of transposing subraction and division problems (12-8 becomes 8-12; 6/3 becomes 3/6). She counts on her fingures to add, and multiplies using a Multiplication Table.
Any help would be appreciated!
Re: Interesting teaching question
It sounds like the disconnect is in the physical, spatial processing and that there are significant LD issues here - as in, she could be eligible for resources & help that she may not be getting. (Of course, a dx online is impossible!) Has she had any kind of evaluation?
Sometimes when I’ve got students like this, they can do a simple, rote task as long as you don’t change *anything* about it, but since they don’t understand it at all, they can’t ‘translate’ the knowledge into another form.
I would be looking for ways she can show the knowledge that don’t involve the pencil - does she do better entering things on a computer?
Interesting teaching question
Thanks Victoria and Sue,
Unfortunately adults have busy lives and their attentence is not great. I tried the “Scribe” technique for two other students there and it was very helpful.
The GED program has no money for any LD testing, or materials. I looked at MathUSee and requested a video. Maybe I could recreate it on the cheap.
I thought visual/perceptual problems too.
Patrick
Re: Interesting teaching question
I agree on the LD and would add a need for screening by a behavorial or developmental vision therapist.
I’ve had students who could do complex math concepts but still had to use the multiplication tables for computation.
For the copying errors, I turn the page sideways so that the lines become columns to aid lining numbers up. When using a text, I copy the problems to be done into the notebook. This is an area where vision therapy shines.
I work tutoring students privately. I have never had this particular pattern show up, but the general disconnect is familiar. I sit down beside the student and we work out the problem step by step orally. Usually the student tells me and I scribe, at least at first. I keep asking what do you do next? And why? I don’t let students count on their fingers, occasionally have to hold their hands to get them to use their heads. I do use dot pictures if necessary, but fingers simply run out of accuracy after five and are a counterproductive habit. This is a steady gradual process but it does click in over time.