I work with these folks every day.  Some of them really struggle with the abstract concepts, period.  Somehow they can use verbal strengths to get to that GED learning level, but as soon as you throw fraction at 'em, it's too complicated and things fall apart. Many of them don't really have number sense, so there's no connection between the symbols and what they mean.  Usually those folks have a special ed history.  

We've had a fair amount of success with slowing down our courses, and with using a program called Modumath that has more visual and concrete examples than most instruction.  It's most popular and effective with the students whose skills broke down somewhere in Algebra land. 

I am only typing this to avoid going to figure out Camtasia and SmartBoard... because I am working on ways to make it easier to use computers to make this stuff more visual.  Still, one thing I really like is that our pre-algebra teachers no longer emphasize being able to add 3/35 to 17/210 ... if they can add 3/8 to 7/16 they figure that's adequate. 

 




Susan Jones
Academic Development Specialist
Academic Development Center
Parkland College
Champaign, IL  61821
sujones at parkland.edu
Webmastress,
http://www.resourceroom.net
http://bicyclecu.blogspot.com



>>> "Gail Price" <gprice at famlit.org> 10/31/2007 6:24 AM >>>

I would like to add another facet to Deborah's question and ask
specifically about tools that can be used to assess/diagnose students
who have problems with math (again considering the lack of training and
funds for such assessment in most adult education programs). I have had
some students who read at a GED level (9.0 or better on the TABE) and
just can't grasp math concepts. They waver between a third and fourth
grade level in math and can't seem to make any progress. Is there
anything that can be done in the classroom? What do you suggest as a
means to help these students unlock the mystery of math? 

 

Gail J. Price

Multimedia Specialist

National Center for Family Literacy

325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

Louisville, KY 40202

gprice at famlit.org 

502 584-1133, ext. 112

 

________________________________

From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov 
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Stedman,
Deborah
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 12:02 PM
To: Learningdisabilities at nifl.gov 
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 1439] Assessment of adult
learningdisabilities

 

This is a question for Dr. Roffman and the Learning Disabilities list.

 

I am interested in the assessment procedures being used in adult
literacy/adult education programs in regard to the identification of
learning and cognitive disabilities in populations who did not receive
such assessments as children in public school systems.  Given the
paucity of funds in adult education programs and adult rehabilitation
services, it would seem that the best way to get adults involved in such
assessment would be through pro bono work done by psychological
diagnosticians on a community level.  Do you agree with that?  Or are
you aware of other strategies that programs used to obtain diagnoses and
accommodations for adult students with specific learning disabilities?  

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Deborah

 

Deborah Stedman, Ph.D.

Grant Director, Texas Family Literacy Resource Center

Lecturer, Developmental and Adult Education

Texas State University

601 University Drive

San Marcos, TX 78666

512-245-9757

fax: 512-245-8151

ds43 at txstate.edu