Meeting Your Students' Needs~ 7 min

When working with gifted and talented students and high achievers, the conversation regularly centers around the grade level the student should be playing in ST Math. Some schools keep students in their current grade level while others place students into the grade level that matches the curriculum the students are experiencing or the grade where they believe they are working instructionally. 

While we can provide guidance, ultimately the school and the teacher will need to decide what is best for the student they are working with. It is important to remember that ST Math is a different program because of the foundation in neuroscience and the visual nature of the spatial-temporal models used in the program. Encourage teachers to keep this in mind when working with gifted and talented students.

Gifted Students Working Above Grade Level

There are benefits to having students work above grade level especially if it matches the level of instruction being provided.

It is important to remember that accelerating students can produce gaps in student understanding. Two strategies to combat this include:

• Assigning students to the Journey that corresponds to their grade level and using the assignments feature to provide them with strategic above grade level content.
• Assign students to the Journey that corresponds to the level that matches the instruction they are being provided. (e.g., if they are a 4th grade student receiving 5th grade math instruction then they will do the 5th grade journey). Teachers can use student data to determine areas where students may need additional grade level support and use the assignments feature to provide students with the grade level content they need.

Gifted Students Working on grade level

Students can benefit from working at their current grade level especially if they know mathematics at a procedural level, but struggle to fully grasp the conceptual understanding. Some gifted and talented students may struggle with explaining their thinking and instead say things like “I just knew it.” For students who have been accelerated to above grade level work, there can be concepts that they did not have the opportunity to build a firm foundation in at their grade level before moving on. Having gifted and talented students engage in on-grade level work allows the opportunity to deepen understanding, strengthen their foundations, and connect mathematical schemas. It can provide the support students who are working at a higher grade level need to help bridge concepts and increase understanding.

Two strategies that can be used to support gifted and talented students working on grade level while deepening their understanding includes:

Supporting written communication and connections. Keeping students at their grade level provides time for the student to learn to express their thinking around their understanding of the concept. It also can help deepen their understanding of the coherence of mathematics which will be important as they get into high level mathematics. Teachers can engage students in journaling and writing exit tickets following their ST Math time to help promote written communication and the opportunity to make connections within mathematics.

Opportunity for engaging students in mathematics projects. As students are playing games teachers can have them play them with the lens of a teacher instead of a student. Students learn a lot when they are given the opportunity to teach something. Giving students a project with a product to create helps them focus on mathematics in a deeper way. Teachers should be encouraged to provide opportunities for students to share their projects. 

ST Math Projects,

• Create a resource document that describes the math concepts/skills, provides specific examples and non-examples, and lists vocabulary words for that concept.
• Create a mathematical children’s book around the mathematics, characters, and setting in the puzzle. The book should help teach the math concept.
• Create a “game mat” for one of the games that brings the game into the real world and explain how it can be used to support the math concepts in the puzzles. Students should include examples.
• Create a new JiJi game based on the same concept. Students should create at least 3 levels for their new game and provide visuals.
• Identify areas where students may get stuck playing the puzzles. Create questions to facilitate student thinking around the mathematics that students are using in the puzzles.
• Have students select a puzzle and create a game that can be used in a center based on that puzzle. The game should include directions, a title, and a description of the mathematics involved.

English Language Learners (ELL) are a very diverse group of students who represent numerous languages, cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Supporting ELL students cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. ST Math implementation within the ELL student group should address the diversity of learners.

All students are capable of doing high-level mathematics; their language proficiency does not determine their mathematical ability. Therefore, language should not be a barrier for students to engage in rigorous mathematics tasks. ST Math’s visual approach to learning levels the playing field by providing rich mathematics experiences in a game-based setting that gives all students access regardless of background and English language proficiency.

Strategies to support ELL students include:

• Ask facilitating questions. As ELL students are engaged in problem solving through the puzzles in ST Math individually or whole class, teachers can provide opportunities for them to speak English and give authentic reasons to use academic language. 
• Small group work provides an opportunity for ELLs to engage in mathematical discourse and learn how to negotiate meanings of vocabulary words with their classmates. Using ST Math puzzles, ST Math Chats, or Puzzle Talks during small group instruction helps provide common experiences to promote student discussion.
• Maximize the visual approach by using manipulatives or creature cards as part of classroom instruction. Students are familiar with the games and using these resources can help provide continuity between what they are experiencing in ST Math and in the classroom. 
• Integrate with literacy. Strategically select games students have already mastered for use in small group instruction. As students play the familiar games, teachers can focus on making language connections. Several strategies such as personalized academic word walls, various writing activities, graphic organizers, think aloud, and peer discussions can be used. Students can use the game mats to model and tell a math story. Give students opportunities to write so they can make the symbolic connections.
• Use graphic organizers like concept maps to support ELLs in making content and language connections during ST Math time. These can be great tools for the teacher to assess how students are learning and provide students a way to organize their thoughts.