Helping Students Catch Up.

 So many of us are struggling to help our students regain at least some of the ground that was lost when schools went virtual due to COVID.  We know they've fallen behind but we also know that we have to begin doing things to help them begin to move forward or at least not lose any more ground.  This semester I have seventh and eighth graders, most of whom do not know their multiplication tables and who are extremely weak in fractions.  So I've been looking for ways to help them do gain some ground in their math skills. 

It is strongly recommended that one assess students to determine what they've learned and where their gaps are because this allows you a chance to figure out how to incorporate missing pieces with the current math material so students don't feel stupid.  As mentioned earlier, many of my students do not know their multiplication tables.  

I am not going to spend time on that.  Instead, I'm handing out multiplication tables so they can refer to it to help them since I began working with fractions, specifically converting mixed numbers to improper fractions and vis versa.  I'm using the first couple of weeks to bring their understanding and skills up to where I need them to be in order to start the material in the math book.  I'll be supplementing their multiplication fluency by using Kahoot so the students can practice their multiplication skills 

In addition, I'm letting students collaborate on work.  I monitor the students to keep them from copying while encouraging them to talk to each other about how to do the work.  The discussing helps them express their ideas and at the same time, I've got peer tutoring going on.  Research indicates that peer tutoring is quite effective so I'm encouraging it. 

It is also recommended that we have a system to support students built in so they don't have to ask for help.  As said earlier, I try to get students to help each other while I rotate around the classroom checking on students, glancing at work, and answering questions. This allows me to catch misunderstandings and clarify things before students get too far along.  If I'm not sure what they are doing, I'll ask them to explain their thinking. This helps them verbalize their thinking and it provides me with another chance to assess their understanding.  I used this to discover that many of my students had weren't sure how to translate the division results into a mixed number.  They'd mix things up so I could help clarify things immediately.

It is also important to review mathematical vocabulary throughout the lesson.  Vocabulary does not have to be anything formal but it must include it so students hear it used in a proper manner so they can learn and use it correctly.  If a student has no idea what the term "cubed" means, they may not be able to do the problem.

Finally, use explicit instruction that is chunked for students who struggle.  This is important since many students who are struggling often struggle trying to discover things on their own.  Furthermore, if the material is done so it is chunked in small amounts with a chance to practice between "lectures", it makes it easier for them to learn the material.

Remember, it is all one step at a time.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a wonderful day.