Examining Virtual Manipulatives for Teaching Computations With Fractions to Children at Risk for Learning Disabilities

• In Event: Access to Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction for All

Abstract

Virtual manipulatives are tools used for providing diverse representations of mathematical concepts to students of all backgrounds. While strategies featuring representations with physical manipulatives possesses a large body of research, the virtual form lacks comparable study, particularly for students at-risk for a learning disability. This population often exhibits difficulty learning skills such as fractions that subsequently impact their future success in mathematics. This presentation will review a single subject multiple probe study examining virtual manipulatives paired with explicit instruction for teaching computations with fractions to three elementary students at-risk for a learning disability. A functional relation was demonstrated between this strategy and all students’ percent accuracy scores solving problems. These findings and their implications for the field will be addressed.

Author

• Rajiv Satsangi, George Mason University