Who is asking: Teacher
Level: Elementary

Question:
I am going to be teaching second grade next year. How can I differentiate instruction in mathematics to meet the needs of all of my students, from those who need intervention to those who need challenges? What are some techniques I can try for this grade level?

Thank you!

It is definitely a challenge teaching all the children that come through our classrooms. Sometimes children are identified as having difficulties in math because of the traditionnal way that math is often taught. I have found over the years that when we teach math using a variety of teaching strategies more children achieve success in math. Over the years I have incorporated new (for me) ways of teaching math. One of the big changes I have made at all levels of elementary school has been to teach concepts using manipulatives. Manipulatives allow children to visualise concepts and experiment with them, so that they can form their own ideas about how math work. I often allow children to work in pairs or small groups because this allows them to bounce ideas off each other, experiment with ideas in an atmosphere of trust. I often ask children to express orally or in written form what their thoughts are about math, especially in problem solving situations I like to know how they arrrived at a particular solution. I like to bring math to the real world, such as all the math that can be related to a soccer ball!

The list goes on. The more opportunities we give children to enjoy and learn math, the more successful they will be.