In a previous post , I discussed how remediation and intervention are different. The difference between these two concepts is so great and so important that I feel it necessary to explain why this difference matters. To illustrate these differences, let's look at two different students. Melissa Melissa has always been an A/B student. Though she has never been in the top of the class, she has always managed to get by. She doesn't love math, but she realizes its importance in her life. Melissa's parents are available to help her with her homework, and she feels comfortable receiving extra help from her teachers. When Melissa got to middle school, however, she was struggling to keep up. The concepts were moving too fast for her, and switching classes made it difficult for her to get the help she needed. The problems were now requiring her to integrate several math concepts at one time, whereas Melissa had previously only needed to memorize a few ideas at
For any given unit, I typically offer between 3 to 5 leveled assignments, each based around the grade-level standard but presented in different ways. I find that 5 levels really meets the needs of most of the learners in a classroom, but, of course, that is not always realistic or practical. In general, I group assignments in this way: If I have 3 assignments, it's typically just low, medium, high. But, if I have 5 assignments, I target my assignments to the following popuations: Level 1: Special education (these will have manipulatives and the assignment may be modified in some way) Level 2: Intervention students (assignments will still be on grade-level but may use easier numbers, or contain prerequisite review, or targeted drill instruction) Level 3: On-grade level (for all level of students, I use Universal Design methods, so that certain accommodations are readily available. This usually includes graph paper, graphic organizers, manipulatives, etc.) Level 4: Advanc