Number Sense and Special Education

Math instruction is so hard for some special education students.  Every time I think of the challenge we educators face teaching math, I think of this video.  It makes me laugh every time I see it.  You can follow their funny videos by following them here.

So we have all been here right!  We have felt the extreme frustration of desperately wanting to meet the needs of a student but our method just isn't getting results.  When you have to resort to using your fingers for counting you have exhausted your tool kit and are starting to border on desperation.  But teaching basic math number sense does not have to be this frustrating. 

In the 16 years that I have been working with and teaching special education students, I have never come across a better system for teaching all things numbers than Touch Math.  Using this program has helped so many of my students find success with numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and money. 

Understanding the system of dots and how to count them forward and backward, make a huge difference for students that use to look at numbers like this...

The dots eliminate the embarrassment of using your fingers to count.  Touch Math uses dots drawn on the numbers to help students count the value of each digit.  Then as students advance their knowledge and skills with the program, they learn to skip count.  This leads to an easier understanding of multiplication and division.  Then you can use Touch Math's money system to learn to count coins! 

I love it!  Now, Touch Math is an entire comprehensive curriculum and there is so much more to it than the Touch Points and Skip Counting Touch Points that I am so fond of using in the classroom.  For special education students, I believe that you can transfer that part of the system to any curriculum that your school is using.  They also have some great resources on TPT for individual teachers that do not have access to Touch Math in their school or cannot afford the program.  

I have a Touch Money adapted book on my TPT store for sale.  It is a great introduction or review on coins and how to count money using touch points. I am working on several more materials that will be uploaded to my store soon.  I use this system every day and LOVE the results that I see from my students.  They are so proud when they can learn new skills that seemed so foreign to them before this adapted way of learning was introduced.  CHECK IT OUT!!!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Blauvelt-Babbles

New Launch

So...this year has been a crazy adventure.  My family moved to a new state.  I moved to a new job within special education.  I went back to school to add additional certification to my license.  I am considering continuing my education to pursue even more diverse areas of special education in the future.  This could mean second complete masters or a doctorate.  Scary thought! 

In the move with my family, we have downsized and paid off almost all of our debt.  We are trying very hard to live simply and comfortably.  This means role changes for our family that has all been great but really new territory.  Experimentation is not that fun!   We are really growing and learning from all the interesting things that have happened since selling our home in Indiana last June. 

In all of this, I have decided to try and help out making some extra income with what I already do and enjoy doing.  Creating a curriculum for special education students.  I launched a selling page on the Teachers Pay Teachers website to share some of my creations.  My thought was that I already have to make most of my curriculum materials to get what I really need for my students so I might as well attempt to sell it and share with others that might be in need of similar materials. 

I have been researching for some time and do not fancy myself one of these "amazing bloggers and get rich by staying home and creating" kinds of people.  I just hope that my little created materials help enough people to feel good about the work I do and make enough money to have a little fun with my family when we are lucky enough to have free time. 

I hope to see all of you lovely people that have always supported me to check it out.  I would appreciate the feedback as I dabble in this adventure.  I will be blogging more.  Self-advertising my products and seeing what kind of market I can create for myself, is my goal.  Only God knows the future but with prayer, grit, and determination I think I can make a good go of this endeavor. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Blauvelt-Babbles

Love to All,
Mrs. Terri
                  A few of the things I have started to work on so far.