We Begin Again
For those of you who are following this
blog through the public sphere, this may seem a bit disconcerting. This
blog is offered for the Multisensory Math Class offered by The Multisensory
Training Institute of The Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education
Center.
We generally offer fall, winter,
spring and summer classes. When we begin a new class, the blog is erased and we
begin again. Some of the blog entries...many in fact...will be
recycled. New ones are always added and the course becomes infused with
both foundation material and new thinking.
For those of you just beginning a new
class.....
Welcome to Multisensory Math I. This
course was filmed as a thirty hour, one week summer intensive course in 2017.
I try to re-film the course about every two years. For this class
participants met every day for six hours of instruction. The format of
the course includes two morning and two afternoon sessions with mid- morning
and mid-afternoon breaks. Section times vary because of class participation
and the need for continuity but each segment basically lasts about one hour and
fifteen to thirty minutes. Thus we have four segments per day listed as Day 1A,
Day1 B, Day 1 C and Day 1 D etc.
To Begin:
1. Get to Know Your
Manual
2. Access the Blog DAILY
for the first week. Information will be posted HERE – Later weekly
groups of blog postings will go up at once time.
3. Access Your Content and
Begin with Video Day 1, Segment 1-
4. Handouts for All
Powerpoint presentations are in the back of your manual.
You should begin with video Day 1 Part
1. The color handout to accompany the power point presentation is in the
back of the course manual.
The initial day of instruction is the
overview. It is essential that you view the entire first
day's videos before viewing later segments. Please do not skip
around in the video sequence. In this first day's content, you will learn
the evidence for the methodology described. You will be introduced to the
instructional sequence and the rationale for using this instructional approach.
You will also be given information about why this approach is appropriate for
all students but essential for some. Sometimes the class is engaged in an
activity. Keep in mind that you should be participating in the same
activity when there is a pause. You should be using manipulatives
along with the class participants. You only learn by doing.
This program is based on several
principles. It began as an approach to mathematics truly based on the
Orton-Gillingham multisensory instructional methodology. Later, this
course was informed by imaging studies of how math is processed in the
human brain. The research of scientists such as Stanislas Dehaene and
Brian Butterworth became guiding forces. The ASDEC course is also aligned
with recommendations from the NCTM (the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics), UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and the Common Core State
Standards. Finally, you will also see evidence of the study skill work of
Donald Deshler and his colleagues at the University of Kansas.
The Multisensory Math Program is unique,
not because it uses manipulatives or is concept focused - though it does and it
is; the program is unique because of the way it emphasizes instructional
language and weds the language to the math in such a way as to make the math
accessible to all students. It is the Orton-Gillingham based multisensory
component that sets this program apart from others. That said, the
Multisensory Math approach is adaptable to any curriculum, textbook or program.
It is a different way of thinking about teaching math and it demonstrates an
effective model for classroom or individual instruction, for initial
introductions or filling the gaps in students who are "instructional
casualties" of procedural instruction.
Some of you are aware that the math manual
you received is a new, updated version. I spent six weeks in 2014
rewriting original content, confirming all sources, citing references and
articulating the applications I have developed for this course. The manual
is, I believe tighter, and the new front matter in each section clearly
explains the rationale for the approach. The manual was edited with the
help of professionals in several fields including academic language therapy,
neuropsychology, math and the law. Ultimately, it took a dedicated parent
to complete the job.
It is my hope that each of you will read
the blog, respond with questions or observations about the strategies, respond
to each other and also relate your experiences about teaching math. If
you try something from the course with students or your own child, let us know
of the results. Pay particular attention to the instructional
language. Please try to interact by using the blog. If you are
working toward certification or may consider doing so, make an extra effort to
respond via this medium.
I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Expect several blog postings per week, sometimes several posted in a
day. Daily this week I will post a blog about materials, manipulatives
assignments, readings that you will want to have on hand.
The Multisensory Math Team looks forward to
reading your comments, meeting you via Zoom Video conferences and helping you
help others enjoy the beauty of math.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Zecher, M.A., CALT, Instructor
Hi - I am currently enrolled in the Fall 2019 session of this class. I didn't see an new blog posts, so I came to this one. Please let me know if I am doing this correctly. Thank you so much! Susan Haemmerle
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