Area: Mathematics

Strategy: Strategic Number Counting
Appropriate Grade Level: K-3
Procedures/Steps:
The student is taught explicit number counting strategies for basic addition. Those skills
are then practiced with a tutor (adapted from Fuchs et al., 2009).
  1. Create Flashcards: Create addition flashcards showing the numerals and operation sign that make up the problem, but leave the answer blank for the student to practice.
  1. Review Count-Up Strategies:Ask the student to name the two methods for answering a math fact. The correct response is, “Know it or count up.” Have the student describe how to count up in an addition problem. Give the student two-sample addition problems and tell the student to solve each, using the appropriate count-up strategy.
  1. Complete Flashcard Warm-Up: Remind the student to try and recall the answer from their memory first, if they do not know the answer, then they use the appropriate count-up strategy. Review addition flashcards with the student for three minutes. If the student makes an error, tell the student to use the count-up strategy to solve the problem. If the student goes through all of the flashcards before the three-minutes are up, then shuffle the cards and start over. At the end of the three minutes, count the number of flashcards reviewed and record the number of cards that the student (a) identified from memory, (b) solved using the count-up strategy, and (c) was not able to correctly answer.
  1. Repeat Flashcard Review: Shuffle the math-fact flashcards; encourage the student to attempt to beat their previous score. Review the flashcards with the student for three minutes. Again, if the student makes an error, tell the student to use the count-up strategy. At the end of the three minutes, again count the number of flashcards reviewed and record the data on the Strategic Number Counting Instruction Score Sheet.
  1. Provide Performance Feedback: Give the student feedback about whether (and by how much) the student's performance on the second round of flashcards beat the first. Provide the student with praise if they beat their previous score. Provide the student with encouragement if they failed to beat their previous score.

Comments and/or tips:
Give the student a copy of a number line. The student is to start with the bigger number of the two and to 'count up' by the amount of the smaller number when finding the answer to an addition problem.
Source:
Fuchs, L. S., Powell, S. R., Seethaler, P. M., Cirino, P. T., Fletcher, J. M., Fuchs, D., &
Hamlett, C. L. (2009). The effects of strategic counting instruction, with and without
deliberate practice, on number combination skill among students with mathematics
difficulties. Learning and Individual Differences 20(2), 89-100.