If a student in your math class is having difficulty with counting, offer an intervention strategies that includes using manipulates such as blocks, baggies with objects in them to count, and counting beads that can be moved as the student counts in order. By using these different techniques, the student will be able to associate a visual with the number that they are saying. They will have concrete objects in front of them that will help to solidify the number.
The basic concept of place value can be a difficult one for some learners. Applying intervention strategies such as grouping objects and placing them on a place value mat can help them to understand what each place value actually stands for. For example, bind straws together with a rubber band into groups of tens and one hundreds, leave nine straws out for the ones place. Construct a place value mat by labeling ones, tens, and hundreds on the top, with space below to lay the straws. Give the student a number, such as 23 and have them use the correct bundles and single straws to create it. This will allow them to see what the place values stand for and help them to better understand the concept.
Teaching money to students can occur in the early elementary grade levels and cause confusion for some students. Intervention strategies for this basic skill include using real or fake money and demonstrating what each is worth. For example, using a nickel, the teacher would use five pennies to show the student the equivalent value. Once the student sees what a nickel actually equals in smaller terms, they may better understand the value of it. Other strategies include placing money on a chart to display value and having students buy fake items with a dollar and work with paying and receiving change.
Intervention strategies for the basic math operations of addition and subtraction include using concrete objects to help the student understand the actual process of the functions. By using concrete objects such as blocks, pennies, and small manipulates, the student gains perspective on what is actually happening to the numbers in the math problem. For example, if the problem is 12 + 12, the student would count out 12 small blocks for the first part of the problem and then count 12 more. This will give them a demonstration of the problem with real objects.