Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Does anyone have any suggestions for working with students with memory issues?
I am using the K Investigations curriculum along with a variety of other activities. Over 1/3 of the group are ELLs. Most of the students are really getting the concepts. I have one student, however, who is an English speaking student and a first grader (from another class) that has issues with memory. Two days a week this student works 1:1 with an Ed Tech during math. This student is receiving Special Ed services and I am following his IEP but don't feel I am being effective. We follow a routine using the calendar, taking attendance, counting jar, .... But each day this seems like it is new information for him. Some days he can count objects 1:1 to 20 and other days he misses one or several numbers along the way or recounts the same objects multiple times. Patterns are challenging for him too. He can follow an AB pattern I have made but cannot start his own. One day he can tell me a square is a square and name several attributes and the next day he will call the square a triangle and be happy with his answer. I have visual aids around the room but they don't seem to work. Any suggestions????
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5 comments:
A couple ideas off the top of my head, Rebecca. Lessen the memory requirement. For example, have him match the square to another square when presented with the choice between a square and a rectangle. Perhaps you have the words written above the 2 shapes or the initial sound if he can use those as cues OR if he matches to the square by pointing, you praise him and say "yes, that is a sssqu.."
Also try some incentives or rewards. Sometimes I find that kids just don't put their best forward because they don't see the importance at that moment so they make a guess rather than thinking carefully. Something as simple as tally marks for each correct response and then so many tallies equals a prize or pencil may be helpful. This will perhaps help him to begin to reflect on his performance a bit more.
Good luck!
Karen
Since I’ve never had this exact problem, I have no idea if this would be helpful or not but here are some thoughts: If I were going to work on 1:1 in counting AND squares with this child, then I’d use squares when we practice counting how many, I would build bigger squares from smaller squares, and I would use the word “square” many, many times. I might even make up an alliterative phrase such as the “squiggly squares” or relate it to SpongeBob SquarePants or some other way which provides a hook for recalling the name “square.”
A possible set of activities that would cover many sessions: start by modeling how to count out 4 square tiles and then make a bigger square from those 4 tiles; have the child copy that by counting out the correct number of tiles and creating the bigger square. You could even scaffold it by first providing an outline of the size of the larger square he must create. Eventually, don’t provide the outline. Judging from his understanding of the 4 squares, move on using 9 square tiles, then 16 tiles, then 25 tiles, each time building a bigger square using an outline. If the child miscounts, he won’t be able to make the bigger square fit the outline. So it gives him a purpose to count them correctly. Again, stop using the outline as he gets more comfortable with the activity. Down the road, you could also give him one of the outlines and ask him to figure out how many square tiles he would need to fill it. This could incorporate estimating, as well.
As he builds the bigger squares, it provides a good segue into talking about the attributes of a square in a very concrete way. It also exposes him to later concepts about area and multiplication, although that isn’t the major focus right now.
Any effort should be acknowledged with a positive comment about a specific action the child takes: "I like how you touched and counted each square carefully. You were able to find the exact number of squares you needed to build the bigger square." Self-confidence goes a long way - for everyone! Good luck!
Wow! You are really working hard to figure out what to do for this student. Your posting brings back memories of a few students that I have had over the years, students that just don't seem to be able to hold on to information, particularly 2 dimensional information. If I were in your shoes my next step would be to include a tactile mode of learning and to break the lesson/concept practice into the smallest bites possible with lots of repetition - build a square with craft sticks. I imagine you and his special ed support person share information. If you have not already talked, you might want to coordinate your modes and methods of teaching/breaking concepts down so that you are both following the same format. I like Karen's idea of an incentive. Earn what you learn, when you practice naming/identifying a square you get a square, earn 4 little squares and build a bigger square, and so on........ I will be interested to hear more about this student and your progress. Thanks for sharing - Deb (kindergarten)
Great question Rebecca and equally great support Karen and Linda!
I would add another suggestion to those already presented... sometimes it helps to remove some information so the child can really focus on the kernel of the idea. Try shutting down the visual sense and replacing it with just tactile experience by placing examples of each shape in a bag and having the child reach in and take a shape in his hands. Let him completely describe what he is feeling in his hand (properties) and naming the shape. For example, he might take the triangle, identify it as such and you ask "How do you know?" If you felt it necessary you could display identical shapes on the table at the same time and have him pick out which one he has in his hand. Another step might be to have him reproduce that shape on the geoboard (before looking at the shape he picked). Some work with COMPARING attributes would also be in order. For example, if I make this triangle on the geoboard, can you turn it into a square with just one move? For which of these triangles can you do that? (It is often helpful to take the focus off of the 'drill' part by burying what you are after inside an interesting investigation... it's sort of subversive... like most good teaching!)
ONE MORE THING... try using several children and a long piece of string to turn shapes into other shapes... where do they need to position themselves?
Let me know if anything here is helpful, and continue to draw on the expertise of your colleagues. Cheers!
Maggie
Oops... Deb I didn't see your comment at the bottom. Good suggestion, great support!
I would add ONE MORE THING to my comment above... you could also ask the student to close his eyes while feeling the shape in the bag. THat helps to eliminate any visual information coming in and may free him up to visualize it in his head... always a good thing.
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