Essential Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities to Think Mathematically

Participants will develop a deep understanding of how five research-based strategies (ask yourself questions, sentence frames and starters, annotation, the Four R’s, and turn-and-talks) can be used to help students with learning disabilities develop mathematical thinking. They will learn about six accessibility areas (conceptual processing, visual-spatial processing, language, attention, organization, and memory) math learners must use when doing mathematics. They will see how the essential strategies support students as they work in each of the accessibility areas by engaging in two instructional routines designed to develop quantitative reasoning. 

This twelve-hour course will provide participants with five research-based strategies to help students with learning disabilities learn how to think and reason mathematically. Participants will leave:

  • Understanding what it looks like when students reason mathematically—quantitatively, structurally, and through repetition.
  • Knowing five essential strategies to engage students, support their development of mathematical thinking, and develop independence. 
  • Ready to support each and every learner to develop as mathematicians.

Cost:  $579 ACCEPT members/ $679 non-members

Cost includes a copy of Routines for Reasoning.

Audience:  Grades 4 – 12 Special Educators and General Educators

Date/Time: August 22 and 23, 2023; 8:30am-3:00pm

Location: ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Cir, Natick

Earn:   12 PDPs

Graduate Credit Option:  Pending approval, participants may choose to apply for 1 graduate credit for an additional fee of $125 payable to Worcester State University

About the Presenters: 

Amy Lucenta, M.Ed., has extensive K–12 mathematics education experience, which includes a focus on special populations. She is a coauthor of Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Classroom Mathematics and Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practices in All Students. She is also a cofounder of Fostering Math Practices, an organization that provides resources, training, and collaboration opportunities for anyone interested in helping all students learn to “think like mathematicians.”

Grace Kelemanik has more than 30 years of mathematics education experience. A frequent presenter at national conferences, her work focuses on urban education, special populations, and teacher training. She is a former urban high school mathematics teacher and Project Director at Education Development Center. Grace has also worked extensively with new and preservice teachers through the Boston Teacher Residency program.

Most recently, Grace is the coauthor of Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practices in All Students. She is also coauthor of The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit. She is a mathematics education consultant and professional development provider.