Math Curriculum for Learning Disabilities in Middle School
- The Lindamood-Bell method for teaching students with learning disabilities, and in particular, math learning disabilities was developed in 1986 by Doctors Patricia Lindamood and Nanci Bell. A few components that make up the Lindamood-Bell curriculum are learning strategies such as On Cloud Nine (OCN), Seeing Stars (SI) and LiPS (L). Others include Visualizing and Verbalizing (VV). These methods of teaching allow students to learn math by using other senses to make the learning a multi-sensory experience. OCN, for example, helps students picture numbers in their mind so they can grasp the concept of counting.
- The Davis Method works by allowing a student to focus his "mind's eye" on a particular face of a three-dimensional object such as a cube. This is important when teaching middle school students geometry and the concepts of shapes as they relate to mathematical concepts. The Davis method holds that the reason why students with learning disabilities do not have a firm grasp of geometry problems is because they cannot picture the conditions appropriately. The "orientation" approach teaches a child to recognize the different configurations of an object by focusing on one facet at a particular moment and then slowly building it together to a geometrical object.
- While math relies heavily on concepts to be properly understood by middle school students, memorization is also a basic component of learning math. To this end, there are curricula developed that center on memorization as a learning tool. An example is the use of flash cards with answers at the back so that students can readily recognize and remember the results of number operations. Whenever they fail to get an answer, they only need to turn the flash cards over to get the right answer. Doing this several times will help lead to understanding of the concepts.
- The use of assistive technology is also based on the understanding that using other senses to reinforce learning can be a useful tool to overcome learning disabilities in math. An example of this is talking calculators, electronic math sheets and even a paper-based computer pen that provides audio on what a person is writing on paper. These curricula ensure that visual learning is reinforced by an audio experience so that the processing of information can be strengthened by an assistive sense.