Dates: August 2-6, 2010

Location: Hyde Park Elementary School, Hyde Park, VT
Time: 8:00 -4:00

Cost: $735 for members, $850 for nonmembers
Additional $294 for 3 credits from Union Institute
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED

Registration: http://www.lapdavt.org

Down Load the PDF here

Workshop Description:

Most mathematics, classroom, and special education teachers have very little understanding or training in diagnosing and remediating mathematics learning problems, particularly the specific mathematics problems such as dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety. When so many children have difficulty in learning mathematics it is important for teachers to know how children learn mathematics, why learning problems occur and what they can do to help children learn mathematics more effectively. The goal of this course is to provide that information and training. The principles that guide this course are rooted in learning theories, special education, mathematics teaching and learning, and clinical practice in working with children and adults with learning problems in mathematics. In this course we will focus on mathematics learning problems, and specific disabilities such as dyscalculia. Therefore, teachers will examine and understand:
• How children learn key mathematics concepts, skills, and procedures;
• Cognitive and affective skills and key processes important to effective and efficient learning and teaching of mathematics;
• The impact of individual cognitive strategies and mathematics learning personalities on learning and teaching of mathematics;
• The nature of learning difficulties, problems and disabilities in mathematics that include dyscalculia, mathematics anxiety and mathematics problems due to dyslexia and dyspraxia;
• Remedial strategies for key mathematical processes and procedures in mathematics (number conceptualization, place value, fractions, integers, algebra, and spatial sense); and
• Diagnostic and remedial instruction profiles of students using the principles and practices learned in the course.

Course Overview:

This is a clinical course in teacher training in mathematics and special education. It consists of four parts:
1. Teachers observe Professor Sharma’s work with individual children and small & large group lessons in key mathematics concepts.
2. Teachers work with children under the supervision of Professor Sharma. Pairs of teacher participant work with one child and apply diagnostic procedures and remedial methods.
3. Each day teacher participants attend lectures, demonstrations, presentations, and case-study discussions with Professor Sharma
4. Each teacher participant will work with a partner to prepare a comprehensive report for one child based on prescribed elements of diagnosis, remediation and readings.
5. Teachers in this course will complete reading and written assignments, engage in lecture/discussion sessions, and make classroom presentations based on their work with children.
Children experience mathematics learning difficulties for a variety of reasons including: dyscalculia, dyslexia, cognitive delay, delay in the development of key mathematics milestones, poor preparation in prerequisite skills and inappropriate learning experiences. In this workshop we will examine the role and impact of these factors on student learning. Some children with language related problems do not have problems in acquiring mathematical concepts and skills. Others can solve computational and spatial problems easily, but they may have difficulty with concepts and applications. Many others may have difficulty with language, concepts and procedures. As we know, some children have difficulty with both literacy and numeracy, the difficulties that the child experiences with reading and language acquisition some times begin to interfere with their ability to learn mathematical concepts. If they have difficulty receiving, comprehending and producing words, symbols and expressions properly, they will not be able to solve math problems involving complex language manipulation. These common problems often emerge early when number recognition and its manipulation is in the formative or foundational stages. Visual perception deficits often affect reading as well as basic number work. One can find examples of rotations, inversions, and distortions in the samples of mathematics work from children with common reading and mathematics difficulties. Therefore, to truly understand a child’s difficulty learning arithmetic in order to ameliorate problems, it is important to understand both the nature and causes of these problems, and the appropriate methods of remediating and preventing these problems. In this workshop we will focus on problems related to dyscalculia, math anxiety and dyslexia related mathematics learning problems. We will also look at the nature of errors students make as a result of these problems.

More specifically we will focus on:

• Why some children experience profound difficulty in learning mathematics?
• The underlying nature of mathematics learning problems?
• How dyslexia and dyscalculia affect mathematics learning?
• What we do to improve mathematics learning for all?
• What parents can do to support their children’s mathematics learning?

About the Instructor

Mahesh Sharma is known for his groundbreaking work in mathematics education, he is an author, teacher and teacher-trainer, researcher, consultant to public and private schools, as well as a public lecturer. He is the Chief Editor of Focus on Learning Problems in Mathematics, an international, interdisciplinary, research mathematics journal with readership in more than 70 countries, and the editor of the Math Notebook, a practical source of information for parents and teachers devoted to improving teaching and learning for all children.