What are Some Considerations to Keep in Mind when Using Strategy Instruction in Math Classes?

There are a few recommendations to keep in mind when using strategy instruction in your ath class (Miller, 1996; Montague, 1988):

1. Recognize student characteristics (cognitive and behavioral) and preferences. When teaching strategy instruction, be aware of student characteristics and preferences.For example, some students may prefer highlighting relevant words while reading a word problem aloud, while others may prefer underlining and silently reading the problem. Equally important is the need to recognize student behavioral characteristics, including their self-esteem in math and motivation. For instance, students with low motivation may need additional supports to promote active engagement. Examples include creating individual student math contracts with the targeted math objectives and the goal/criterion and promoting active student involvement by having students lead discussions while using a strategy (e.g., “How did you arrive at your solution?”). 

2. Promote individualization of strategy instruction (SI). Students should be encouraged to individualize use of SI in math via adapting a strategy learned in class. For example, as processes involved in STAR strategy

becomes more automatic for students, recalling the first step, “Search the word problem may prompt students to read the problem carefully and to initiate translation into mathematical form (i.e., translating words into an equation). 

3. Program for generalization. It is imperative that both special and general education math teachers program for both near (i.e., maintaining the same structure but using different story lines) and far generalization (i.e., incorporating more complex problems than the problems in the instructional set) of the SI math strategies in order to promote retention and application or strategy use. For example, for near generalization, different story lines can be incorporated for generalization (i.e., use of integer numbers with problems involving time zone changes, sea level, and age) in addition to the problems used in the instructional set. For far generalization, more complex problems are introduced than the problems initially taught in the instructional set (e.g., In a certain city, if the difference between the highest and lowest altitude is 155 m and the altitude of the highest point is 900 m above sea level, what is the altitude of the lowest point?). In addition to its application to problem solving involving integer numbers, the STAR strategy can be generalized across math topics .

Students with learning disabilities in mathematics often have difficulties deciding how to approach math word problems, making effective procedural decisions, and carrying out specific plans (Maccini & Hughes, 2000; Maccini & Ruhl, 2000). Strategy instruction is an effective method for assisting middle school students with learning disabilities as they complete challenging mathematical problems. To support teacher use of math strategies, this brief defined strategy instruction, and provided key features of effective strategies and instructing youth in the use of a strategy. The practical examples presented illustrate how strategies such as STAR can be applied to a variety of math concepts and can provide the support necessary to ensure student success.