Even with adults, we hear, “I can’t do math! It’s too hard!” Since the onset of Covid, education has been more difficult with students frequently missing school. In the last month, half of my class was quarantined. Because of this, most of my fourth-graders struggle in every subject, even with basic addition and subtraction. These learning gaps cause my students high anxiety when doing assignments/tests, which can halt their progress. One student with autism often becomes so anxious that he yells, disrupting or stopping class. This can hinder learning on a broad scale.
When using hands-on tools, visual aids, and fidgets, my students are noticeably engaged and relaxed, helping them better learn and perform in class. Most students learn while doing or using multiple senses. This is particularly true with math. Without hands-on tools, math requires a lot of abstract thinking. Unfortunately, my students lack abstract thinking skills due to missing so much school. To understand, they must manipulate things with their hands.
These tools will help in several ways. Fraction blocks are an aid when working with fractions. Place value blocks, dice, etc., help students better understand and compare different numbers, as well as understand addition and subtraction. By having multiple sets, quarantined students can borrow supplies for use at home. This will decrease gaps occurring during quarantine. Visual aids (i.e. posters) help master material. By also having multiple fidget tools on hand, my students can release anxious energy during assignments/tests. Often, these students click pens, tap pencils, or fidget in noisy ways. With quiet fidgets, students can release nervous energy without distracting others. My students with autism often need sensory devices to cope with emotion, so this is particularly important. Each individual tool helps in small ways, but together, they will lead to significant learning progress!
About my class
Even with adults, we hear, “I can’t do math! It’s too hard!” Since the onset of Covid, education has been more difficult with students frequently missing school. In the last month, half of my class was quarantined. Because of this, most of my fourth-graders struggle in every subject, even with basic addition and subtraction. These learning gaps cause my students high anxiety when doing assignments/tests, which can halt their progress. One student with autism often becomes so anxious that he yells, disrupting or stopping class. This can hinder learning on a broad scale.
When using hands-on tools, visual aids, and fidgets, my students are noticeably engaged and relaxed, helping them better learn and perform in class. Most students learn while doing or using multiple senses. This is particularly true with math. Without hands-on tools, math requires a lot of abstract thinking. Unfortunately, my students lack abstract thinking skills due to missing so much school. To understand, they must manipulate things with their hands.
These tools will help in several ways. Fraction blocks are an aid when working with fractions. Place value blocks, dice, etc., help students better understand and compare different numbers, as well as understand addition and subtraction. By having multiple sets, quarantined students can borrow supplies for use at home. This will decrease gaps occurring during quarantine. Visual aids (i.e. posters) help master material. By also having multiple fidget tools on hand, my students can release anxious energy during assignments/tests. Often, these students click pens, tap pencils, or fidget in noisy ways. With quiet fidgets, students can release nervous energy without distracting others. My students with autism often need sensory devices to cope with emotion, so this is particularly important. Each individual tool helps in small ways, but together, they will lead to significant learning progress!
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