Enlist the help of the special education teacher at your school. A student may qualify for help from the special education teacher as outlined by his Individualized Education Plan due to her learning disability. If not, you can still use the special education teacher as a resource when teaching math. Invite the teacher to come into your classroom during math instruction so that he can assist you in instruction. In addition, he can be a resource to help you plan lessons and develop specific strategies in math for teaching your student with learning disabilities.
Cooperative learning groups provide a student with learning disabilities the chance to work with his peers. Using this method in the setting of teaching math allows the child who may need extra help to work with peers and learn from them. The student with special needs can ask questions to his classmates to help understand the math concept. Also, if the student with learning disabilities has difficulty with reading or writing, other members of the group can be assigned this task so that the student can focus on solving the math problem. This method also allows the student with disabilities the chance to showcase his strengths with his peers, rather than focus on his needs.
Technology is a useful tool for teaching math to a child with learning disabilities. A wide variety of computer programs exist designed to teach math facts and concepts. Children with learning disabilities may benefit from this extra practice at home or in school. Calculators are also beneficial for helping to teach math to children with disabilities. Allowing a child to use a calculator gives her the opportunity to focus on the mathematical process, rather than be caught up with the math facts themselves. This is especially helpful for a child who mixes up the order of numbers when attempting math.
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) is a concept of teaching math to a child. You develop a math problem and then allow him to solve it using manipulatives. In CGI, manipulatives are referred to as "tools" because the child uses them in any way he needs in order to solve the math problem. One of the key components to CGI is understanding the process by which the student solves the problem. You discover this by asking the student to demonstrate his thought process through visual representation and by talking with the student. Because CGI allows the child to solve the math problem in his own way, this way of teaching math lends itself to use with a child with a learning disability. He is in control of how to go about solving the problem and can use his strengths, rather than have his disability affect his ability to learn the math concept.