Elementary Math Education for Students with Exceptionalities: An Annotated Bibliography

by
Rachel Matheson
Presented to
Dr. S. Wood
EDUC 5433: Elementary Math Methods
St. Thomas University
February 2016

In schools today, most classrooms are comprised of students with various abilities and
exceptionalities. In New Brunswick, inclusion in the classroom is a growing initiative with most
schools having an entirely inclusive policy. During my first practicum at a local elementary
school, I had students in my classroom with a wide range of abilities and exceptionalities. I was
able to see the need to differentiate first hand. Mathematics is one area that is subject to a popular
misconceptionthat the material cannot be differentiated. I believe that with the help of
research and an open mind, all subjects and material can be differentiated to meet the needs of
every student. In this annotated bibliography I will review six sources related to students with
exceptionalities and their experience with mathematics at the elementary school level.

Calik, N. C., & Kargin, T. (2010). Effectiveness of the touch math technique in teaching addition
skills to students with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Special
Education,
25(1), 195-204.
TouchMath is a multisensory math program that was created to help students who
struggle with mathematics concepts at their grade level. Calik and Kargin investigated
how TouchMath affected students with mild intellectual disabilities through direct
instruction of basic addition. The students in this study were part of an all-inclusive
grade two classroom. This study found that the TouchMath technique was effective in
teaching addition to students with mild intellectual disabilities when used as direction
instruction in a general elementary classroom. Interestingly, teachers reported all positive
reviews of this approach and recommended its use in elementary mathematics to support
students with mild intellectual disabilities.
After reading this article, I decided to look further into the TouchMath technique and how
it can be used in the classroom. As someone who plans to further my education in
teaching students with exceptionalities, this article was particularly useful because it
provided me with a new resource that I could use in my practice, with research that

supports its validity. There are multiple sets of resources that are available for teachers to
purchase from the TouchMath website that provide numerous activities to use with
students with exceptionalities in the elementary school classroom. I look forward to using
what I have learned from this article in my practice and as a prompt for further
investigation into how TouchMath can help my students through direct instruction.
Flores, M. M., Hinton, V. M., & Schweck, K. B. (2014). Teaching multiplication with
regrouping to students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research &
Practice (Wiley-Blackwell), 29(4), 171-183. doi:10.1111/ldrp.12043
This article investigates the application of teaching multiplication by regrouping to
students with a specific learning disability in elementary school. To develop conceptual
understanding among students with specific learning disabilities, the researchers used a
combination of the concrete-representation-abstract (CRA) sequence and the strategic
instruction model (SIM). The results verify that computational fluency was increased by
the use of this approach. What is interesting is that the students involved maintained their
skill level throughout the study even when assistance was not provided (one-on-one or
manipulative). Therefore, this study proves that CRA and SIM techniques are beneficial
forms of instruction for students with a specific learning disability.
The rate of inclusion in elementary school classrooms is rising annually, and therefore the
need to differentiate is crucial. The model presented in this article is an excellent
suggestion for both new and seasoned teachers. The methods provided in this article can
be used in both direct one-on-one instruction, or in a small-group collaborative approach.
The authors suggest that this method would be greatly beneficial for students who have
had trouble with other methods for learning multiplication by regrouping.
The concrete-representation-abstract sequence and strategic instructional model
combination approach could be beneficial for other areas of math as well and should not
be limited only to the suggestion for its use with multiplication as seen in the article. As
an educator, I look forward to investigating the use of this approach into other areas of
math such as fractions, measurement, and probability.
Kercood, S., Zentall, S. S., Vinh, M., & Tom-Wright, K. (2012). Attentional cuing in math word
problems for girls at-risk for ADHD and their peers in general education settings.
Contemporary Educational Psychology, 37(2), 106-112.
Individuals with ADHD have trouble focusing their attention in the classroom. This
study investigated the use of yellow highlighting versus no highlighting of key words or
units in math word problems for girls who were considered at-risk for ADHD and their
peers. In general, students who are at-risk of ADHD work faster but produce lower
grades. The results from this study found three reoccurring improvements amongst the
at-risk students who had key words highlighted, which were slower rate of performance,
decreased off-task behavior, and improved problem solving performance.

The study shows that math performance was improved when key words and units were
highlighted, which is a step forward in advancing our teaching practices to account for
students with attention deficiencies. The findings from this study can be easily
transferred to an elementary math class. This method of accommodation to a math
problem is a simple and efficient way for teachers to differentiate for students with
ADHD. This strategy would be especially useful for students who are solving advanced
word problems or multi-step questions. I look forward to trying this technique with my
students during my practicum and as a full-time classroom teacher.
Lindstrom, J. (2010). Mathematics assessment accommodations: Implications of differential
boost for students with learning disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, 46(1), 512.
With the increase in inclusive classrooms, it is important that educators not only consider
how they will differentiate instruction to accommodate for the students with
exceptionalities, but also consider accommodations of their assessment strategies.
Assessing students with learning disabilities must be fair, effective, and valid. The
methods in which we assess our students much be in line with the method of instruction.
Lindstrom emphasizes that the accommodations for assessment and instruction that we
use for students with learning disabilities must be based on the needs of that individual
student. When testing students, the test must be appropriate and effective based on the
needs of the student.
The accommodating assessment should reflect the instruction method and the educational
needs of the student based not on their learning disability but on their academic ability. It
is important as educators that we focus on each students ability, rather than what could
be considered his or her disability. When we focus on a students ability, we can create
appropriate and effective assessments that will represent what the student has learned. It
is important to consider assessment before planning instruction. By doing this, teachers
know what they want their students to learn, and therefore can provide appropriate
assessment measures. In accordance to students with exceptionalities, when we consider
how the student can or has the potential to perform, we allow ourselves to offer the best
experience for our students with learning disabilities.
Pierce, R. L., Cassady, J. C., Adams, C. M., Neumeister, K. L. S., Dixon, F. A., & Cross, T. L.
(2011). The effects of clustering and curriculum on the development of gifted learners'
math achievement. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 34(4), 569-594.
This study reviewed the effects of cluster grouping on gifted students in an elementary
math class. Cluster grouping refers to identifying the top students at one grade level and
putting them together in one classroom taught by the teacher who is best qualified to
work with these students. This study investigated the support for gifted children through
cluster grouping and specific curriculum, which resulted in academic improvements for

the students involved over time. One influential factor was the content knowledge of the
instructing teacher and the delivery of the curricular material. Another contributing
factor was classroom environment, which when done appropriately supported
collaborative learning and provided the opportunity for academic challenges for the
gifted students, which is what we want to provide as educators.
This study shows that appropriate enrichment of the mathematics curriculum can be
implemented to give students who are gifted a modified curriculum that meets their
needs. I think that all too often teachers forget about enrichment because we put so much
focus on helping the students who struggle. It is important to recognize that
differentiation must not be limited to students who are struggling, but should occur for
students who are exceeding expectations and require enrichment. Mathematics
instruction can be modified for students who are gifted and this is crucial to keep them
interested in math and avoid having them become bored with the subject.
Reed, J. A. (2009). Integrative activities for math. Active education: Lessons for integrating
physical activity with language arts, math, science and social studies (pp. 75-92). New
York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
In this book, Reed addresses the importance of integrating physical activity into the
classroom. Research shows that teaching elementary school curricula with integration of
physical activity improves concentration, math performance, and academic achievement.
For students with ADD or ADHD, movement has been shown to have a positive effect on
math learning by decreasing behavioural episodes in the classroom. Reed provides
examples of activities for specific grade levelsfrom pre-K to grade 5for all five
content standards: number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics
and probability.
Reed provides exceptional examples of activities to be used in math, which benefits
students, specifically students with ADD or ADHD. These are practical, real-life
examples for teachers to use in the classroom. One example given by Reed is Place
Value Fun, where there is a designated activity for each place value (ie. ones = jumping
jacks, tens = hopping on one foot, hundreds = burpies). The teacher writes a number on
the board, for example, 634, then each student does the activity for each place value for
the amount of times that corresponds with number provided. Following each activity,
Reed gives a rationale for how the activity benefits students.
Each subject-specific chapter in this book includes multiple activities for the integration
of physical activity, which is an exceptional resource for elementary teachers. As ADD
and ADHD are becoming more frequently diagnosed disorders, it is important that
educators know how to accommodate for these students in the classroom. The
integration of physical activity is an excellent way to engage these students in a
mathematics lesson and assessment. The activities suggested in this book would be a
wonderful resource for teachers who strive in enhance concentration and minimize
behavioural discrepancies in their classrooms