According to Cindy Middendorf, a training consultant and veteran kindergarten teacher, most early childhood brain research indicates that children between 4 and 7 years old are primarily right-brain thinkers. The best ways to work with this are to provide whole-picture and multisensory classroom instruction. “Often times, we’re too quick to say that a child has a specific learning disability,” Middendorf said. “More often than not, it’s a problem with conceptualizing because most of our math instruction for decades has been the traditional left-brain, logical, sequential type of instruction. That’s mainly because math lends itself to that kind of instruction.” Some ideas of how to work with students are included in the March 27, 2013 Special Ed Connections e-newsletter.

 Develop students’ math language. Students often need to develop the language of math before they can    understand its concepts. For example, without concrete experiences of what “equal” means, students will likely fail to grasp the concept.

 Ensure students internalize concepts. Research has indicated that students in second and third grade who are struggling in math are the ones who never developed an internalized sense of numbers.

 Build problem-solving skills. Teachers often compartmentalize math when the child’s developing brain needs the big picture. When teaching the number 3, for example, teachers can also introduce triangles to make     connections for the children. Children with special needs may need visual references, so your teachers might provide them with three straws to make a triangle.

 Use technology in moderation. Technology provides strong visual and auditory engagement. However, early childhood teachers need to be aware of children’s developing vision and the impact of extended periods of time in front of a screen. Also, there is often little socialization among children when using technology.    “Technology should be used in small doses with mammoth breaks in between.”

 Explore development opportunities. Early childhood centers and schools may lack the funds to send teachers to conferences for professional development, so explore alternative resources. “TeacherTube has phenomenal model lessons that provide examples of  teachers and students interacting on concepts,” Middendorf said.  Though TeacherTube does not necessarily show lessons or strategies that are research based, it does give some ideas that may be helpful.