CASE STUDY IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS

By Hope Feldman
SECTION 1: Student Background:
Angelina Ballerina is an adorable kindergartener at Willow Creek
Academy. Angelina is repeating kindergarten for multiple reasons of
which many stem from her age. Angelinas birthday is in early
September and she had just turned 5 when she began kindergarten
last year. She exhibited delayed social skills and behavior challenges.
She seemed immature and the thought was another year in
kindergarten would help her improve upon her social skills and also
better grasp classroom routines and appropriate classroom behavior.
So far, the decision to hold Angelina back seems to be a great choice.
This will be my second year as Angelinas assistant teacher and I am
excited to continue supporting Angelinas growth with this math case
study!
Angelina is a bright and loveable child with the diagnosis of
Down syndrome. Angelina lives in Sausalito with her caring family
consisting of Mom, Dad and her two brothers. English is the only
language spoken at home and her family appears to be middle class.
Her parents and brothers provide nurturing support for Angelina at
home and at school. Her mother does not believe in the term
disability and prefers not to address Angelinas special needs in
relation to her IEP qualification of Down Syndrome (Intellectual and
Developmental Disability). However, her mother is extremely open to
having volunteers work with Angelina, which has contributed to
Angelinas amazing progress with speech/language and now for me to
help boost her math skills.
Angelinas maturity and ability to function in the general
education classroom has blossomed this year. She is able to sit at the
rug for longer periods of time, pays attention to stories being read
aloud (even saying let me see after each page which demonstrates
her interest and attentiveness) actively participates in classroom
activities and can complete about 5 minutes of seat work without
getting up. Ive noticed that Angelina is actively engaged when the
class is counting to 100 and counting by 10s. She loves to point to the
numbers on the 100s chart when the class is counting. When we
review numbers, she is eager to share her answers and usually can
respond correctly (so far we have only practiced numbers up to 15).
Also, each morning the students complete a math packet page, which
includes counting/writing numbers, and one to one correspondence
practice, which she can usually complete independently.
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Angelina seems to have a good grasp on basic counting skills,

can write most numbers and recognize numbers up to about 20. I
observed her during a lesson on making patterns while she worked
with a one-on-one aid. During this time, I noticed that she recognizes
ABAB patterns and can formulate them with support. Intricate patterns
(with more than three color bear manipulatives) seem to be more of a
struggle. The greatest challenge I observed was getting her to
complete the task at hand. She kept wanting to play with the bears her
own way rather than attending to what was being asked of her. During
my case study, it will be important create lessons that will sustain her
attention, provide elements of choice and that can be completed in a
short amount of time.
Angelina excels at reading but has difficulty with mathematics.
She was selected for this case study because she has a math goal on
her IEP that states: by 5/15, In a classroom setting, during teacher
directed activities *Angelina will increase her pre academic skills as
they relate to math by being able to do the following a) count to 30 b)
label and identify numbers 1-30 c) write numbers 1-30 given visual and
verbal prompts, with 80% accuracy on 3/5 trail days over a 2 week
period. It seems that some of these goals are close to being met
already, but Angelina and I will continue to focus on conquering these
goals and hopefully boost her number sense and basic math skills over
the course of this case study.

Assessment: Angelina Ballerina, Mathematics

Case Study
I used Angelinas IEP goals and common core kindergarten
standards to decide on important elements to assess including: sorting,
patterns, counting, number recognition, basic addition/subtraction and
comparing.
I also decided to assess Angelinas familiarity with specific
vocabulary words. Many of our readings have helped me become
aware of the importance of explicitly teaching math vocabulary words.
For this case study, my goal is to help Angelina understand certain
math vocabulary words in order to set a solid foundation for future
learning in mathematics. I want her to be able to hear a vocabulary
word and be able to relate it to a mathematical function that she
knows how to perform. The words I selected to assess were: sort,
pattern, add, compare, subtract.
During my first informal assessment, I started off by having
Angelina count out loud. She was able to count to 20 independently,
and with help, she counted to 30. I also asked her to write numbers for
me. I would say a number aloud and she would write it down. I noticed
that Angelina tends to reverse two digit numbers. She also had trouble
writing numbers past 19. Next, I wrote random numbers on the paper
and asked Angelina to identify them, one by one. She did well with the
concept and properly identified numbers 1-20. She reversed a few of
the numbers once we got into the 30s, but with gentle reminding
about which number is said first (i.e. 3 comes before 4 so we say 34),
she corrected herself.
In my initial paper and pen assessment, I tried to introduce the
concepts addition and subtraction. Angelina did not seem to remember
the + , or equal sign. When I said the problem aloud and described
how she could solve the equations, she made an attempt, but even
when I modeled with my fingers, Angelina could not solve the
equations and simply guessed random numbers.
After performing an informal assessment using basic pen to
paper strategies, I was informed by Professor Urbani that all

assessments should allow children to use manipulatives. I decided to

conduct a follow up assessment centered on a personal collection of
buttons that I turned into a series of tasks. In order to assess her
knowledge of vocabulary words that I plan to use throughout the case
study (sort, pattern, add, compare, subtract) I made little cards with
the words on them. I asked Angelina to select a card. Then, I asked her
about the word and would have her perform the function of the word
using the buttons as manipulatives.
Sort was the first word card selected. She knew how to describe
sorting by saying put some here and you put some right there. Sort
all in pile, dont mix up! I knew by her gestures that she meant put
things in piles by grouping them by an attribute. She then modeled
how to sort by using the buttons to make piles grouped by color. She
performed this task successfully and independently plus she had a
great time while doing it.
Compare was the next card she chose. Angelina did not
understand the term nor the concept. When I modeled with the buttons
by giving each of us a pile of buttons and asking who has more
buttons? Which pile is bigger? she could not accurately respond. This
will definitely be a great concept for us to work on throughout the case
study!
Pattern came next. Angelina seemed to be familiar with the word
but could not express its meaning. I asked her to make me a pattern by
using the buttons. With some help getting started Angelina made a two
and three color pattern. She definitely needs help performing pattern
tasks and recognizing the vocabulary word.
At the end of our time together, I asked Angelina about Addition
and subtraction. I had her count out 10 buttons and we used them to
make subtraction problems. I would take a few away and ask now how
many? She needed to be reminded to count the buttons to find out
the answer. She answered a few questions successfully with some
guidance. Addition was a bit trickier. Angelina was still stuck on
subtraction and did not seem to understand the function I was asking
her to perform. I did notice that Angelina has good counting habits
such as pointing to each item as she counts. This demonstrates she
understands 1 to 1 correspondence.
Comprehension:
Learning to ask questions while performing mathematical equations is
important, just as questioning is a major component of reading
comprehension. One aspect of my case study plan for Angelina is
developing math skills through literature. I will focus on teaching
questioning strategies to Angelina in order to help her develop
speech/language skills and communicate her understanding of what
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she is learning. I have never heard Angelina ask someone an

interpersonal question so I was excited to assess her questioning
abilities. First we played a little game where I asked her lots of silly
questions. I then asked her to ask me something and with
encouragement and modeling, she was able to do so. I then read
Angelina a story with very few words in it. I would pause frequently to
encourage her to form a question. She did not seem to understand
what I was asking her to do. I tried to model and start a few questions
for her, but she focused on telling me about what was going on in the
story. We will continue to work on questioning through the use of math
literature!
From Angelinas math journals, I can see that she has a solid
foundation for copying numbers. I can also see that she can correctly
count and write corresponding numbers when given dots (1 to 1
correspondence). Angelina can also correctly count out a given number
and demonstrate the quantity when given blocks to color in.
Angelinas daily math packet journal indicates that routine can help her
perform math skills with independence. Some mornings, Angelinas
mother will help her complete her math page while other mornings;
Angelina will do it on her own! Understanding the task at hand is
extremely important for Angelina and routines help to reinforce
instruction and seem to build her confidence.

Interaction: Angelina Ballerina, Mathematics

Case Study
I am an assistant teacher in Angelinas kindergarten classroom. I
interact with her throughout the day by helping her complete
assignments, stay on task and transition between activities. Angelina
has a push in, one on one paraprofessional aid that works with her
twice during the school day. Angelina also gets pulled out for speech
twice a week and has an occupational therapist work with her in the
classroom. During the school hours, Angelinas time is filled with
specialists and general classroom activities. Since I do not have a lot of
time to work with her individually on mathematics during the regular
school hours, I have been scheduling play dates to visit her at home.
Her house is the perfect setting for providing extended day learning.
She is extremely comfortable and less distracted. I also can give her
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my undivided attention rather than trying to juggle helping her while

supporting the other students in the class. So far, the home visits are
going extremely well!
During our first play date, I gave Angelina an informal
assessment. I brought a tin of buttons (a personal collection from
home) in order to perform a series of tasks that would allow me to
gather a sense of her knowledge of specific skills I play to work with
her on. She loved using the manipulatives to perform the tasks and
was able to focus on the instructions, I think because I created the
activities in a play like manner. Since I am also incorporating some
reading comprehension instruction into this case study, I brought a
book to begin working on the concept of asking questions. The picture
book was called Good Night Gorilla and it contained very graphic
images with very few words. Before we began reading the story, I told
Angelina, when we work together, I want to focus on asking questions
while we read. I led us through a cute little questions game where we
took turns asking each other interpersonal questions. Due to
Angelinas speech and language delay, she has a very difficult time
formulating questions. The only types of questions I have heard her ask
are of personal need, and are usually only one-word phrases such as
playground? Bathroom? Lunch time? In order to help Angelina ask
me questions, I first modeled by asking her a bunch of simple
questions about herself, her house, her mom etc. After asking her a
few questions, I said now its your turn to ask me something. I would
provide questions starters such as why is do you likewhats your
favorite I felt like this activity was very successful and also
meaningful. We will definitely continue to play this game because it will
benefit her overall communication abilities, which will also translate
into her ability to engage in math discussions down the line. During my
first visit, I was able to gather extremely important information and set
a solid, positive foundation for future visits.
During my next visit, I focused on the concept of comparing. I
provided a variety of activities to try and teach Angelina what more,
greater than, less, and bigger means. Angelina had a really difficult
time focusing and demonstrated avoidance behaviors. She really
wanted to draw on a mini white board so I translated that into an
activity where we both drew circles using two different color markers. I
asked her to count all the green circles, then all the blue circles. I
asked, Which color circles are there more of? She had a difficult time
responding and continued to draw circles on the board. I modeled how
I would go about responding to the question and together we counted
how many green and how many blue circles were there. I then noted,
Angelina, you drew more circles than me! Look, you drew 15 green
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circles and I only drew 10 blue ones. 15 is bigger than 10. I tried to
bring her attention to the concept I was trying to teach while still
engaging in the task she preferred in the moment.
Next, we read the story Monster Math. We practiced counting
the monsters on each page to help Angelina improve her oral counting
abilities. The story line also represents the concept of subtraction. We
discussed how on each page, there was one fewer monster. Monster
Math also includes a series of activities in the back of the book
(designed by Marilyn Burns.). I selected the activity Show Me which
basically goes as follows: teacher asks student to show me --- # and
the student puts that many counters on the game board. The teacher
continues to ask the students to show different amounts, generating
them to conduct addition/subtraction equations. Angelina really
struggled with this game. Each time I asked her for a new number, she
would start all over again, not seeming to understand that she just
needed to add or take away a few counters. Also, even though we used
manipulatives, I think she was having a hard time understanding the
instructions and also focusing. I reversed roles and asked Angelia to
ask me to show her numbers. I modeled a few times, but she lost
interest quickly.
Towards the end of our play date, I initiated a comparison game
that finally seemed to click with Angelina. Given that she was having a
really hard time staying on task during this session, I decided to play a
partner activity. I quickly made little cards with random numbers on
them. I then asked Angelina to write any number she wanted on the
white board. Then, I asked her to select a card. She would tell me the
number on the card (supporting her number recognition skills) and we
would discuss whether her number was bigger or smaller than my
number. This game was extremely hands on and required back and
forth energy, which kept her engaged. We played a few rounds and she
seemed to begin to understand the concept! Her mom walked in
towards the end and said I am so glad you are working with her on
this concept. I am excited to continue to practice comparing with
Angelina during future visits!
During class on 10/15 Angelina and I worked together on a 5
Pumpkins on a Gate activity. The class read the book 5 Pumpkins
Sitting on a Gate and then engaged in a corresponding art activity in
which they colored and cut out pumpkins of different size and had to
arrange them in order (greatest to smallest or smallest to greatest) on
the picture. I paid particular attention to Angelinas ability to organize
her pumpkins by size. While she worked, I rephrased the teachers
instructions and told her to put them pumpkins in order from biggest to
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smallest. She was very successful at this activity and needed very little
support. This activity showed me that with few manipulatives, she
could compare items by size. While assessing her ability to compare
has previously made me think she did not understand the concept, I
now realize that she can make basic comparisons with the help of
visual models (the story and the teacher example) and very few
objects. For future work with comparing, I plan to provide less
manipulatives at a time and start with what she already knows- putting
things in order from biggest to smallest.
Video Lesson: Asking Questions (Reading Comprehension)
I planned this lesson with the intention of helping Angelina
practice asking questions while reading. Angelina has a difficult time
expressing herself, particularly in regards to reading comprehension. I
decided to play the question game with her before starting to read
the story. The question game is something I made up to help us build
a more personal relationship, to provide Angelina with direct modeling
of the skill of questioning and to afford practice time with the skill. We
had played the question game in our previous sessions together so
Angelina understood the concept. She enthusiastically answered and
asked questions to successfully play the game. I think this activity
really helps build background knowledge and gives Angelina a clear
idea for the importance of asking questions in your personal life as well
as when reading.
Reflection on the lesson: Overall, I think my first video lesson
went well. Angelina sustained attention to the story and also followed
along with me as we both applied the skill of asking questions
throughout the story. I was a bit nervous having the camera on me, but
I feeling confident in my ability to emphasize specific skills and having
read the story and brainstormed questions prior to the lesson really
helped me carry it out successfully. In hindsight, I would have liked to
asked more of a variety of questions instead of falling back on I
wonder types of questions.
10-23-2014 (See Taskstream lesson plan)
Angelina and I continued to work on the concept of comparing
numbers in order to support her development of number sense. During
this activity, we played a hands on game involving rolling dice,
comparing the numbers to determine a winner each round and
recording the winner by marking tallies on a mini white board (more
description on lesson plan). I designed this activity in order to provide a
fun and interactive way of comparing numbers. I also decided to

incorporate the use of writing tallies to represent numbers because I

want to familiarize her with the idea of using symbols to represent
amounts. Marking tallies also introduces the concept of counting by 5s
and grouping numbers.
The second activity I planned (also see lesson plan for greater detail)
continued to support Angelina with the concepts of comparing,
marking tallies and counting. Using the story Ten Little Witches,
Angelina was supposed to count the occurrences of images that appear
frequently in the story and record the results. The hope was that the
cute stickers used at the top of the chart would motivate Angelina and
I also thought she would enjoy the story plot. Not only did this story
include counting concepts, but also it was Halloween themed and was
a fairly simple story. I anticipated that I would be reading her the book
and that I would possibly need to model/ provide lots of support with
the data collection.
Lesson Reflection:
Angelina demonstrated an interest in the first game we played. It
seems that she has had experience with using dice before because she
accurately identified the numbers on each side of the die during our
warm up. Angelina seemed to enjoy comparing the numbers we rolled
and accurately identified the bigger number rolled about 80% of the
time. Angelina was keen on using the mini white board for marking
tallies, but seemed to get distracted by the process. She did not
understand that every 5th mark in the tally system needs to be a
diagonal. I modeled how to mark groups of 5 with tallies and we
practiced counting tallies by 5 based on my model. During instruction
time, she seemed to be following along with me but, when it was her
tern to apply the concept, she did not successfully complete the task.
She was unfocused while marking tallies and would fixate on marking
lines under each of our columns- defeating the purpose of keeping
score. I also noticed that when she tried to mark tallies, she would
make three lines and cross on the 4th. This makes me think that she is
beginning to understand that a tally represents one but perhaps is
struggling with marking tallies while accurately counting? I am also
seeing that Angelina needs to develop a better number sense in terms
of grouping and counting by 5s. Next time we work on tallies, I am
going to use my hand to show that 5 tallies= 1 hand and work on
associated the number 5 with a group. From there, we can continue to
practice counting by 5s!
During the second part of the lesson, Angelina seemed to
understand the instructions for how we were going to read the story
Ten Little Witches. But, at this point, Angelina was a bit unfocused and
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squirmy. It took a bit of effort to actually get started with the book.
Once we did, Angelina insisted on reading the words. She did an
excellent job decoding and reading the text, but was a bit hesitant to
follow along with the lesson I had planned. I really had to model my
expectations and keep her from turning pages too quickly, which
resulted in me doing the majority of the work. We counted the images
on the first few pages and I modeled how to record the numbers we
counted on the chart using tallies. I wanted Angelina to see how I went
about making groups of 5 by marking tallies and I also wanted to show
her how much easier it is to count/keep track of numbers when
recording using symbols. The activity worked for the first few pages of
the text but Angelina did not have the patience to continue on. I tried
to end the lesson by modeling how I would compare the data of images
found in the text but counting up the tallies. I really liked the idea of
this lesson and I think next time, I will choose an even shorter story
and will reduce the amount of images I select for charting.
11/6 Home Visit
My plan for today was to continue helping Angelina build number
sense, counting strategies and number recognition. I planned to
practice counting by 10s with her. I also planned to teach her the card
game War so we could practice comparing amounts. I brought my
personal button collection back to continue working on comparison
skills such as sorting by attribute (size, amount) and to work with the
buttons using a ten frame game to add/subtract buttons based on
number cards we would turn over (a game similar to one recently
played in Angelinas classroom.)
When I got to Angelinas house, she was eager to get started. We
began by playing with a set of base ten blocks. I showed her how one
strip of base ten blocks was equal to 10. We used the base ten blocks
to practice counting by 10s. Angelina did great with this. With some
guidance she was able to count to 100 by 10s. I was impressed with
her ability to do this and I think showing her through the use of the
base ten strips also exposed her to the idea of what counting by 10 s
really looks like. After we counted to 100 by 10s a few times, I
decided to play around with the blocks. Inspired by our recent class
demonstration of how to develop number sense with base ten blocks, I
experimented around with modeling ways to represent different
amounts using the blocks. I showed Angelina how many blocks was in
each manipulative and we looked at how 10 strips were equal to a big
100 square. We also looked at how ten small cubes equated to one 10
strip. Angelina had a difficult time following directions and wanted to
control then lesson. I dont just think it was a response to what I was

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teaching, but more the level of comfort she now has with our sessions.
I feel that as we have progressed through this case study, she can
become a little too comfortable and has begun to see our lessons as a
friend play date friendship rather than a teacher-student lesson. I had
to stand my ground and get Angelina to refocus/ remind her about who
was the teacher in order to accomplish the remainder of the lesson.
Before transitioning to the card game, we decided to try to count by
5s (a skill Angelina is learning in class). I decided to check and see if
Angelina remembered our previous lesson with writing tallies to make
groups of five and to my surprise she did! We verbally went through
the process of saying 1,2,3,4 cross it to make 5 (repeat). Then I showed
Angelina on my paper how to make a cluster while verbally saying
what I was doing. Angelina insisted that she get to try it. She counted
1,2,3,4 as she marked tallies and said cross it as she made the final
tally mark. She did it perfectly!!!! It was so exciting to see that our
previous lesson had some meaning to her and that with more
opportunity to practice and verbalize the process, she was able to do
it.
Next I attempted to teach her how to play War. First we practiced
reading the numbers on the cards. Angelina dealt the cards and
counted as she did so. She had a hard time keeping track of the cards
once she got past 10 but refused to let me help her. I then explained
the rules of the game and modeled how we both flip over a card and
then we see which card has a bigger amount. Whoever gets a bigger
amount wins the round. We played a couple rounds but she lost
interest quickly. I tried to motivate her to engage in my planned lesson
by telling her I had brought my button collection from home again!
Although interested in taking all the buttons out of my tin, Angelina
wanted nothing to do with sorting the buttons or thinking about them
mathematically.
I think that the next time I attempt to play this game, I will only
use a few cards at a time. I also think that Angelina lost focus during
this activity because she had been in school all day and was tired of
being asked to complete multi step tasks. I want to start with a book or
less math related activity in order to reboot her energy and get her
motivated to engage in the tasks I have planned.
Class Observation 11/5/14:
While working on Investigations, the math curriculum used at
Angelinas school, I noticed that Angelina really struggles to keep up
with the rest of her classmates on assignments that she is supposed to
complete independently. By the time her aid came in to work her, most
of her peers were finished with the task. Angelina needed instruction to
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be broken down for her step by step in order to complete the task. Her
aid had to ask leading questions such as what number is this? How
many is it asking you to draw? Lets count carefully! For future
assignments that require multi step functions, Angelina should be
given on direction at a time. From her work, I was also able to analyze
Angelinas counting strategies. When asked to draw symbols to
represent larger numbers such as 12, Angelina uses tick marks. This is
a great strategy because it helps her count faster! It also takes up less
space on her paper. I also noticed that she tends to copy models that
are provided to her. For example, when asked to draw symbols to
represent balls and apples, Angelina draws circles.
Home Visit 11/13/15 Video Lesson:
My Plan For Video 2:
I chose to base my second video lesson on another book. I
wanted to demonstrate how math instruction could occur
simultaneously with literature! I made a lesson plan based on the story
Ten Fat Turkeys. I created a template of turkeys that looked similar to
the ones in the story. I planned for us to color the turkeys before
reading the book in order to make Angelina feel like an active
participant, to increase motivation and to start the beginning of our
session with something engaging. After coloring the turkeys I planned
on giving her a brief overview of the lesson objective and to provide
instructions on how we were going to use the turkeys we made to act
out the story. I also found a printable online that another teacher used
for this book (see visual in binder) that had a gate and area to write
down the subtraction problems that occur throughout the story. I wrote
the subtraction problems before the lesson so I could point to the
equations while we acted out the turkeys falling off the gate. My
intentions were help her visualize what was happening in the story by
using the turkey props to make connections between the story plot and
the concept of subtraction including the visual representations of what
numbers the turkeys represented.
**Angelinas mother had given her a new outfit prior to beginning
this lesson, which may have been distracting and seemed to lead to
some off task behavior!
11/20/14 Technology Lesson
Incorporating technology into lessons is extremely important and a
fantastic way to motivate children, especially with special needs. IPads
provide unique applications to teach skills in new and exciting ways. I
chose to spend an entire lesson with Angelina using an Ipad. I wanted
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to see how capable she was of maneuvering the IPad on her own and
to also check and see if some of the math concepts we have been
working on are sinking in. She has an Ipad that she uses at home
regularly so I chose to use the applications she already owned because
I wanted her to learn how to use the programs effectively so she could
practice more when I am not there.
We played with a variety of apps such as Math Girl, Math Aliens,
Space Math and Math Bingo. I really liked Math Girl because it was
developmentally appropriate for Angelina. The game asked her to
practice a lot of the same skills we have been working on including
addition, subtraction, number ordering and comparing. Angelina
navigated this application with ease. I noticed that while playing, she
liked to guess the correct answer instead of actually making an
attempt to solve the problem. She got frustrated when I asked her to
slow down and to think about the numbers! I had an important talk
with her about how guessing is a terrible habit and that we need to
really look at the problem and at least try to figure it out.
Math Girl also incorporated the use of strategies to solve math
equations. They provided both numbers and symbols to represent each
equation. They also used number groupings such as 5s and 10s to
allow students to apply counting strategies. Angelina and I were able
to practice counting by both 10s and by 5s, which is something we
have been working on throughout this case study. I showed her how a
group of 5 flowers could be more easily counted by saying 5 instead of
counting up by 1 each time. With modeling and practice, Angelina
started to grasp the concept, however her instinct is to start counting
up from 1 and to count individual symbols as opposed to using
strategies.
Math Bingo allowed Angelina and I to practice subtraction. I
really want to help teach Angelina strategies that she can rely on for
solving all kinds of problems. This application was awesome because it
showed how you could use your fingers to solve basic subtraction
problems. I wanted to make the screen come to life for Angelina so I
asked her to manipulate my fingers to model each equation. I showed
her how to put out the first number with my fingers and to take the
second number away by putting that number of fingers down. I would
then ask her to count how many fingers I had left and then to answer
the problem on the Ipad. Angelina practiced doing this a few times and
it seemed like she was beginning to grasp the concept. I would like to
try and have her model the equation with her fingers next time!
12/4/2014 Final Lesson:
For this lesson, I planned to loop back to some of the main concepts
Angelina and I worked on throughout the case study. I especially
wanted to revisit the vocabulary instruction (based off of Jacis
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comments) in order to ensure she truly has a grasp on what the words
more than and less than mean. I also planned activities to continue
building Angelinas number sense, the main objective for this case
study and (again based on Jacis feedback) in order to assess
Angelinas understanding of what a number represents with
manipulatives. We began the lesson by writing an agenda to help keep
Angelina on task. (See example-Angelina wrote it herself!)
The first activity Angelina and I did was a game with two giant
dice and modeling by counting out the number rolled with buttons.
Angelina had requested that I bring the button manipulatives, which I
thought would motivate her to complete the activity. Of course
Angelina dumped all the buttons out right away so as we put them
back into the contained, I reviewed the terms more than and less than
by showing her how a certain number of buttons as more than another
group of buttons. We also talked about how more than means you have
a greater amount of something and less means you have fewer. Then,
we took turns rolling the dice and then counting out buttons to
represent the number rolled. Finally, we determined who had more
buttons. This part of the activity went pretty well, but to my surprise
Angelina wanted to take the activity to the next level!
She started trying to add up the total number of buttons we were
rolling. It was incredible to see how my previous lessons had stuck with
Angelina and to watch her apply previously taught concepts without
being asked to. Angelina would roll the dice; count out the buttons for
each number rolled and then add them together by counting them all
together. We also created addition equations with the manipulatives!
For example, she would point to the first die and say 5 (or w/e number
she had rolled) and then put her hand between the die and say plus
and then 2 (or w/e number she had rolled on 2nd die) equals and then
shed say the total number she had counted out. Angelina did a
fantastic job with this activity and it showed me that she not only
understands what the numbers on the dice means, but is also
beginning to conceptualize and apply higher level thinking concepts
i.e. addition.
For the second part of the lesson, I created a fishing game in
which Angelina had to catch fish within a one minute time frame, sort
the fish based on their attributes and the discover which type of fish
she had the most of. I had her use a clothespin to capture the fish
(colorful fish printed on paper and precut) in order to support her fine
motor development. This activity went well! The game was super cute
and it allowed Angelina and I to continue talking about the vocabulary
more than and less than. Although it was unplanned, during the game,
we ended up with the same number of fish a few times. We spent time
reviewing the concept of the same, which Angelina seemed to
understand. We ended the lesson with a few games of UNO, which
further allowed us to talk about what the concept of the same means.
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Angelina was a rock star UNO player and won all three rounds. UNO
was a fantastic game to help Angelina practice dealing cards (making
sure we both had the same amount before beginning to play),
matching the same numbers/colors and also was also great for social
interaction.
Overall, I think our last lesson was fantastic. I feel like I did a
great job of staying consistent with my case study lessons, which
helped instill a routine and also allowed Angelina and I to really focus
on specific skills. I was blown away when Angelina began adding the
dice together because it truly showed me how much she has learned in
our short time together.

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Post Instruction Results

When I initially assessed Angelina and we began working
together, she was able to count, recognize and write numbers from 110, sort by attribute and make basic patterns. However, Angelina
lacked an understanding for both the vocabulary and concepts of
addition, subtraction and comparing. Based on the assessments I
conducted at the beginning of the semester, I created lesson plans that
focused on developing Angelinas number sense, mathematical
vocabulary and conceptual understanding of basic counting strategies
and numbers.
From my initial observations, I recognized that Angelina had a
short attention span and has difficulty with multi-step activities. I
designed my curriculum in a way that was meaningful, engaging and
enjoyable in order to be successful during my time with her. From
reading Smalls, I learned the simplest strategy for differentiating
instruction is allowing students to choose the numbers with which they
will work with (pg. 20). My lessons were all very open ended and I
never predetermined the numbers Angelina would have to calculate. I
always created activities that allowed for discovery and for lots of
student input. Klinger says that in order to link vocabulary knowledge
to content learningstudents need meaningful learning opportunities.
He goes on to say the most effective strategies include some sort of
manipulation of the vocabulary, encouraging active engagement and
providing structured time to practice(ch.3). In order to teach Angelina
the math vocabulary, I recognized that I also needed to teach her the
mathematical concepts so that she would actually understand what the
words I taught her meant. By focusing on a few, specific terms such as
more than, less than, same, add, subtract, plus, minus etc.I was able
to generate curriculum that helped expose Angelina to these concepts
which she can link to the vocabulary throughout the rest of her
education.
Angelina seems to grasp most of the concepts/vocabulary we
explored during the case study. She understands the idea of more than
and is now applying addition strategies to add two amounts together.
She can manipulate objects to represent numbers and to visually
create addition equations. Angelina also understands what the same
means and the concept of one less than (subtraction). She can
manipulate objects to model what -1 looks like. We didnt get a chance
to spend a lot of time on counting strategies, but we did review
counting by 10s and by 5s. Angelina has mastered counting by 10s
and is still working on counting by 5s. She even has a grasp on the
concept of creating groups of 5s with tally marks. Our Ipad time
further demonstrated Angelinas understanding of these concepts and
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her ability to transfer and apply her conceptual knowledge of what

weve been working on with a variety of manuipulatives, activities and
mediums.
I had the opportunity to assess Angelina in mid November
(towards the end of this case study). Her classroom teacher wanted to
gather data in order to write her report card. I used her teachers
assessment (see assessment 3 in binder) and although some of her
peers were not asked to demonstrate their understanding for many of
the items on the assessment (addition, subtraction, greater/less then) I
was able to complete these components with Angelina. Not only was I
able to provide feedback to Angelinas classroom teacher, but I also
was able to gather data about Angelinas progress, specifically related
to case study objectives. This assessment indicated that Angelina was
beginning to understand the concepts of comparison. She struggles
with the terminology of greater than, but when I rephrased the
question by saying which number is bigger or more than she could
accurately respond as well as when asked, which number is
smaller/less). < This part of the assessment made me realize that I
could have integrated more vocabulary into our comparison lessons.
While discussing amounts, I should have also introduced the concept of
greater than instead of just more than/bigger. Angelina also seems to
lack an understanding of the concepts before and after which are two
more vocabulary words and concepts I would begin to introduce in near
future lessons. >
Angelina still has trouble with concepts such as adding on (she
always goes back to one to count again) and does not apply strategies
such as starting with the larger number when adding. Angelina also
has difficulty working with a tens frame. She does not understand the
process of adding on or subtracting from. Many activities we worked on
both at school and during home visits incorporated the use of a Ten
Frame. Angelina struggled to add and subtract a certain number of
objects on the frame without clearing the board each time. She
understood what the numbers represented but didnt understand how
she could use the number of objects already on the board to either add
or take away to get to a new number. < I would recommend continuing
to play Ten Frame games with explicit modeling and instruction for
future practice and to help her continue developing number sense.
Angelina should also be reminded of how many bears or other objects
are already on the Ten Frame before she is asked to make a new
amount. >
< I also have a few other recommendations for Angelinas future
mathematics instruction: Angelina should continue building number
sense by developing more counting strategies i.e. mastering counting
by 5s and using a 100s chart to identify number patterns and
relationships. Angelina should also continue learning basic addition
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and subtraction, particularly through experimentations and

manipulations of objects. The Ipad seems to be an effective tool for
Angelina to practice many basic kindergarten concepts and should be
used to continuously reinforce what Angelina is learning at school and
to extend her skills. >
Reading Comprehension:
Angelina gained a lot from our short interactions that focused on
reading comprehension, particularly asking questions. The question
game not only helped us build an extremely positive relationship, but
also made the process of asking questions about a story a routine.
Angelina has been responding to and asking more questions about
stories in her classroom and when we have the opportunity to read
together. I also think that adding the focus of reading comprehension
to our lessons helped Angelina recognize the beauty of slowing down
to enjoy and discuss a story. The mystery of lets find out seems to
resonate well with her and she is more eager to communicate about a
story than she was prior to this case study.
Final Reflection
My case study was a huge success. I feel like Angelina learned a
lot from our lessons and I gained an invaluable experience working
with her consistently throughout the semester. Nothing makes me
happier then when we are reading together and she tries to ask a
question about the story! I have developed a strong bond with
Angelina and her family due to my commitment with this case study
and I am so grateful to have had this experience.
My teaching abilities have blossomed throughout the semester. I
loved developing curriculum to meet the specific needs of Angelina
based on the assessment process that I engaged with throughout the
case study. I also gained a lot of knowledge about designing content
area curriculum through literacy instruction! I had so much fun creating
mathematical lessons based on books and believe I developed
extremely important skills for using literature to teach all kinds of
concepts.
I also learned a lot about techniques/strategies for designing
curriculum and working with students that are young, have short
attention spans and learning disabilities. I think one of my greatest
accomplishments of this case study was developing curriculum and
teaching in a way that made the content comprehensible, meaningful
and enticing for Angelina. I also learned the importance of setting up
routines. Angelina would remember previous weeks lessons based on
the materials and concepts that were introduced. When I would teach
her a new game or idea, she could apply her background knowledge,
which made her feel more comfortable and successful. I could also
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motivate her to complete tasks by using manipulatives she enjoyed

working with (i.e. buttons).
This case study seemed to help solidify many different
mathematical concepts in Angelinas mind and gave her a lot of one on
one time to practice counting, manipulating numbers and to become
more exposed to higher level math concepts. Angelina was a pleasure
to work with and I am glad I will get to continue supporting her
mathematical development in the New Year.

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