I implemented a variety of number sense interventions during a 30-minute instructional time with my two students. The breakdown of the chosen interventions went as follows:

 

Everyday: Number of the day (build with manipulatives, count forward and backward, complete number of the day worksheet), and an estimation jar

 

Monday: Number Lines

Tuesday: Place Value

Wednesday: Hundreds Chart and Story Problems

Thursday: Board Games and Mystery Number

Friday: Story Problems

 

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All of the interventions were implemented using explicit instruction. This means all interventions were taught using the gradual release method, which included direct modeling, guided practice, independent practice, and corrective feedback. Explicit instruction was the best way to teach my students due to their difficulties in math understanding. Using number lines and hundreds charts as concrete visuals to increase my students’ number sense was beneficial because they show patterns between numbers, which builds number relationships. Place value interventions were used so my students could build understanding of the base 10 numeration system. Understanding what numbers are made of helped my students develop number sense. Using story problems as an intervention led my students to not only think about numbers, but discuss them verbally as well. This built understanding of number relationships and math operations. Utilizing board games helped increase math achievement, confidence, and engagement. The games that were played had linear number representations which helped to develop one-to-one correspondence, quantity discrimination, estimation, and number identification skills.

 

The interventions were given in a small group setting, with a 3:1 student to teacher ratio. This setting worked best for my students because they were able to have access to focused instruction and attention in an alternate setting. Due to the fact that both of the students had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), their academics were differentiated from a typical second-grader’s math instruction. With that being said, developmentally-appropriate goals in number sense were made during the action research.

 

Culturally Responsive Teaching

My students’ educational needs were unique compared to their peers’, which is why I had to foster equity, accessibility, and support multiple perspectives during the six weeks of interventions. Creating a classroom culture where my students felt safe to try new things, make mistakes, and show their understanding of math concepts was vital to their growth. I did this by forming strong relationships with the students as well as aiding in the development of friendship and trust between the students themselves. The relationships made each of the students feel secure when they walked through the doors of the classroom, which positively impacted student learning. I also had to make all material and instruction accessible for my students. All of the interventions needed to be written in language and explained in words that my students could understand. Whenever a direction for an assignment was given, I verbally stated the steps in simple language and also wrote the steps down on the board. Giving my students accessibility to the interventions gave them the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Lastly, it was important to focus on each students’ strengths during the 30-minute lessons as well as take into consideration what each student needed based on the formative assessment data. The schedule of interventions helped me determine those strengths and areas of need in each student. It was easy for me to determine which student needed more help with one intervention rather than another, which allowed me to gauge multiple student perspectives. Using culturally responsive teaching practices positively impacted student learning.

 

Collaboration

Multiple internal professionals and external community members guided me before, during, and after the interventions were put in place which helped improve student learning. My special education team helped me to come up with the action research schedule. They also gave me assistance with ideas for evidence-based interventions and problem solved with me throughout the six weeks of action research whenever I needed. I also was able to collaborate with the students’ grade-level teachers to make sure that the number sense interventions I implemented aligned with mathematical concepts that would increase their overall achievement. My CADRE associate, who happened to be my building instructional facilitator, helped me throughout the process by analyzing data, overseeing instruction, and brainstorming ideas.

 

External community members also helped to make this action research project possible. My graduate school peers gave me many great assessment and instruction ideas to research. The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) professors also played a large role in helping me to find evidence-based number sense strategies to research and implement in my classroom. A district leader in the area of mathematics allowed me to interview her, which guided a large part of my action research. She shared valuable information about assessment and interventions as well as ways to formatively assess and change instruction based on data. Another external community member shared a professional development textbook with me that focused on a variety of hands-on number sense activities.

 

Collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders allowed me to implement a strong intervention program. Without their assistance, ideas, and knowledge, I would not have been able to make the action research project as meaningful as it was.