Champlain Valley Educator Development Center (CVEDC-ESA)

Effective Scaffolds and Becoming Responsive and Adaptive Experts in Math Instruction in Grades 2-6

Kateri Thunder, Ph.D.

Brain-Based Math Instruction: Addressing Opportunities to Learn Math and Removing Barriers (Grades 2-8) expands to 8th grade for this day only.

In every teaching and learning context, there are nine cognitive challenges that can create barriers to deep and rich learning. These choke points and pitfalls can occur throughout the brain’s learning process. Using the Chew & Cerbin’s (2021) framework, we can identify and respond to cognitive challenges in math so that we can ensure equitable access and opportunity to learning at the highest levels of mathematics for every student.

Learning Intention and Success Criteria: We are learning about the 9 cognitive challenges in teaching and learning math. We’ll know we’ve learned this when we can:

•   Describe the 9 cognitive challenges.

•   Explain when and why they take place within the brain’s learning process.

•   Recognize the 9 cognitive challenges within the context of math teaching & learning.

•   Analyze effective strategies to respond to and remove these barriers to math learning.

October 17, 2024

Effective Math Intervention & Scaffolds, Grades 2-6

Every learner deserves access and opportunity to learn deep mathematics. But how do we support learners who struggle, who hold misconceptions and have gaps in their knowledge and skills, or who need accommodations that align with their diverse needs? In this institute, we will experience and examine three specific instructional strategies for effective intervention: CRA (concrete- representational-abstract), math routines, and metacognitive thinking. Then we will also unpack a variety of accommodations and fading scaffolds that match diverse learner needs with the just right accommodation at the just right time.

Learning Intention and Success Criteria: We are learning about effective instructional strategies for math intervention, accommodations, and fading scaffolds. We’ll know we’ve learned this when we can:

•   Experience and examine the CRA (concrete-representational-abstract) method.

•   Experience and examine math routines to intentionally develop math and language comprehension.

•   Develop learners’ metacognitive thinking through self-monitoring, self-evaluating, and self-reflecting.

•   Align accommodations and fading scaffolds with diverse learner needs and special education

      identifications.

Cohort Participation

These are monthly asynchronous 1 hr. modules followed by 45 minute live/virtual follow-up with Dr. Thunder a few weeks later. The live session will be recorded for those who need to watch it at a different time. 

Follow-Up Virtual Sessions: Each live session is 2:00 – 2:45 pm

The What and How of Effective Math Intervention Scaffolds - Grades 2-6 A Deep Dive into….

We are learning about the what and how of effective math intervention and scaffolds. We’ll know we’ve learned this when we can:

Explain what works and doesn’t work for effective differentiated Tier 1 instruction, Tier 2 intervention, and Tier 3 Intensive intervention focused on:

Asynchronous monthly modules and virtual /live follow-ups 2 - 2:45 pm once a month via zoom

November 14 ….Counting - Describe the principles of counting for whole and rational numbers

December 19 …Subitizing - Describe the significance of perceptual and conceptual subitizing for whole and rational numbers

January 16 …Procedural Fluency - Describe the four components of procedural fluency and the importance of transfer and retrieval practice

February 6 …Conceptual Understanding - Describe the big ideas of priority or power standards with vertical significance

March 6 …Strategic Competence with Whole Numbers - Describe the progression of strategies operations with whole number and the importance of meta-cognition and feedback

April 17 …Strategic Competence with Fractions, Decimals and Percentages - Describe the progression of strategies operations with rational numbers (fractions, decimals and percentages) and the importance of meta-cognition and feedback

 May 20, 2025

 Becoming Responsive and Adaptive Experts 

Our most important role in effective math teaching, learning, and intervention is to become a responsive and adaptive expert educator. In order to make intentional decisions, prioritize, pivot, and translate research into practice, we need to make sense of the essential and nonessential characteristics of effective math teaching, learning, and intervention. Then, we can adapt brain and math research to our contexts and learners. In this institute, we will synthesize our learning to translate research into practice within our local contexts.

Learning Intention and Success Criteria: We are learning about the practical pivots of being responsive and adaptive expert math educators and interventionists.

We’ll know we’ve learned this when we can:

• Identify the essential and nonessential characteristics of effective math teaching, learning, and intervention.

• Synthesize the what and how of effective math interventions, accommodations, and fading scaffolds.

• Adapt our strategies to respond to the individual needs of learners as they move from initial understanding to mastery.

Hours:   9 -3:30 pm (includes breakfast and lunch)

Location: Hampton Conference Center Colchester, VT

Interventionist Cohorts Monthly: Nov. 14, Dec. 19, Jan.16, Feb. 6,  Mar. 6, Apr. 17

Cost: CVEDC Members: Day 1 only: $275 Institute – 3 days:  $750  Institute & Cohort: $1500

Non-Members: Day 1 only: $300 Institute – 3 days:  $850  Institute & Cohort: $1650