We’ve briefly examined four approaches to teaching mathematics to students with disabilities that research has shown to be effective (Adams & Carnine, 2003; Baker, Gersten, & Lee, 2002; Kroesbergen & Van Luit, 2003; Xin & Jitendra, 1999). Each is worthy of study in its own right, so we hope that the sources of additional information we’ve provided will help teachers, administrators, and families bring these research-based practices into the math classroom.
When it comes time to determine how you can best teach math to your students, select an instructional intervention that supports the educational goals of those students based on age, needs, and abilities. Research findings can and do help identify effective and promising practices, but it’s essential to consider how well-matched any research actually is to your local situation and whether or not a specific practice will be useful or appropriate for a particular classroom or child. Interventions are likely to be most effective when they are applied to similar content, in similar settings, and with the age groups intended for them. That’s why it’s important to look closely at the components of any research study to determine whether the overall findings provide appropriate guidance for your specific students, subjects, and grades—apples to apples, so to speak.
Of great value to those seeking to better understand the evidence base for math (and other) educational interventions are these three sources of information:
Each of these sources looks closely at existing research on educational interventions and reports on their effectiveness. Each has evaluated a wide range of commercial math series and materials in use around the country and has categorized them by how much evidence of effectiveness they show. What Works uses six categories (strong positive, potentially positive, mixed, potentially negative, strong negative, and no discernible evidence), while the Best Evidence Encyclopedia uses five (strong, moderate, limited, insufficient to make a judgment, and no qualifying studies), either of which offers valuable information to decision makers. To help teachers and administrators investigate those interventions most relevant to their local situation and need, interventions are also broken out by level (elementary and middle and/or high school).
The instructional approaches on which we have focused take place in classrooms where they often coexist, support, strengthen, and work together to effectively teach students. These approaches can be seen as threads in the fabric of the classroom. In the complex world of the classroom, students benefit from one-on-one guidance from a teacher who can model problem-solving techniques and control the difficulty of tasks through feedback and cues.
And speaking of feedback…consistent and ongoing feedback has been shown to be quite effective in improving student performance. That’s why it’s an aspect that should be incorporated into all classrooms, regardless of the intervention. In particular, the value of immediate feedback stands out. Regular feedback helps students guide and improve their own practice, even as giving feedback helps teachers guide and tailor their own instruction.
When you consider the interventions described here, it’s exciting to realize that they are ready tools in our hands and in our classrooms, and can serve us well as a means of improving students’ math proficiency and outcomes. We hope they do just that.