question posters we had posted for reference, such as a poster that asks: What’s
going on? What do you see that makes you say that? I also suggested that they refer
to the messages on the board explaining the math focus of the day and the list of
thinking words designed to help students express their mathematical ideas and rea-
soning. To ensure that the class used these resources, I began to explicitly point
out when a student referred to the posters, written messages on board, or thinking
words. We noted which questions seemed to help students move their thinking
ahead in specific situations. With all students beginning to use these resources
more frequently, Heather became more aware of the opportunities for support and
when to use them.
I also began to plan specific accommodations for Heather depending on what
the activity required. For example, there might be a need to reread a problem, dis-
cuss vocabulary words, provide a variety of manipulatives, or use smaller numbers.
I asked Heather specific questions about the assigned problems before she began
work.
- What is the important information in the problem?
- What is the problem asking?
- What does the problem remind you of that you have worked on before?
These types of questions were also posted in our room to scaffold students’ problem-
solving work. I would also tell stories or draw situations to help Heather visualize
what a particular problem was asking.
Additional Math Practice
At the end of January, our school’s principal, along with all of the second-, third-,
and fourth-grade classroom teachers, decided to add thirty minutes of math
instruction for those students who were struggling in each grade level. We called
this math club. By reworking my schedule, I was able to carve out time before
lunch each day to work with Heather and eleven other fourth graders. Because
the math club was held before the math lesson each day, I pretaught the math
concepts to the twelve students and gave them opportunities to explore and
rehearse strategies we would use in class later that day. I was explicit about the
purpose of the group: we were going to learn how to develop strategies for solving
problems, become aware of what helped us learn and what we needed to learn,
and build our mathematical understanding. By openly stating our goals, it gave
students permission to use the small group as a place to ask questions about what
they didn’t understand. Because the group was small, I came to understand how
each student approached problems, and I conferenced with students more fre-
quently to help them clarify their thinking. This small group with Heather among
TAKINGRESPONSIBILITY FORLEARNING