Listen to Renée read this article aloud.

As I shared back in September, dyslexia doesn’t only impact a student’s ability to read—it can affect how they process and interpret the world around them, including how they think about numbers and mathematical concepts. 

Parents often ask me about math instruction at Carroll, wondering what it looks like and how it supports students with diverse learning profiles. I thought it would be helpful to address some of the most common questions here. 

For some Carroll students, math is a relative strength compared to their literacy skills; others may have a diagnosis of dyscalculia, a specific learning difference in math. Naturally, parents are curious to understand how we approach the subject. 

In keeping with our overall educational philosophy, we meet every student where they are, providing a clear progression of math skills that align through grades and divisions. To be clear, Carroll’s robust math instruction meets common core learning standards. The difference lies in how we help students achieve those standards. 

Let me explain. 

What is unique about math instruction at Carroll?

A few key features differentiate our style of math instruction. 

(1) Students are grouped by skill level

In language arts classes, we group students with similar skills to facilitate learning and build confidence—and math classes are no different. In each grade, class placement is based on a student’s current skill level. Within classes, they are further grouped to allow for collaborative learning. 

Track My Progress (TMP) assessments—administered three times a year—provide data to help us place students and assess progress. For new students, our Math Department conducts a math interview as part of the admissions process to gain a clear picture of how a student approaches and understands math.

(2) Teachers give choice

Our teachers are skilled at teaching math concepts through multiple approaches. Take fourth grade long division, for example. The standard algorithm is taught, sure, but kids are also taught how to use the box method (breaking down numbers into their place values) and the multiplication of large numbers to estimate and solve problems more efficiently. Giving students a variety of ways to attack a problem focuses on the core Carroll value of helping students understand at a deep level how they think and learn - also known as metacognition. This allows them to choose the approach that works best, while building both understanding and confidence at the same time. 

(3) Multiplication charts are great

Working memory challenges often accompany dyslexia. For most of our students, achieving fact fluency is an ongoing—and unnecessary—struggle. Fact fluency should never become a barrier to success as kids progress to higher-level math concepts. To address this, we provide tools like multiplication charts, for example. These tools help prevent students from getting stuck in the muck of rote memorization, and instead focus on their strength in conceptual problem-solving, which is the true goal of math.

(4) Math isn’t just for math class

Don’t tell our students that they’re doing far more math daily than they think. I call it “sneaky” math. In the Lower School, math is integrated into daily Morning Meetings - for example, younger students count and bundle the days of the school year. When they’re working on Rigamajig (lower grades), visiting the makerspace, creating pieces in the art studio, or spending time outside for Bounders, they’re immersed in creative, hands-on math experiences. Throughout the day, math is woven into activities in fun and engaging ways. 

(5) Students get their hands dirty

Tactile, project-based work is where our kids shine, and this approach is just as integral to our math classes as it is to other subjects. Fifth graders, for example, make calculations and business decisions to build and sell birdhouses through their very own Gatehouse Birdhouse Company. Eighth graders become architects, designing their own homes and creating scaled floor plans to bring them to life. These hands-on projects make math meaningful and memorable.

How are OG principles applied in math?

While Orton-Gillingham principles are best known as the gold standard for teaching literacy skills, they can be effectively applied to all subject areas, including math. At Carroll, where all teachers are OG-trained, these principles are routinely incorporated into math instruction, making learning effective and durable. A few examples:

→ By grouping students with similar skills, they receive more tailored, individualized  instruction. 

→ We encourage students to reflect on and verbalize their thinking patterns, engaging actively in their learning process and allowing educators to coach them as needed. For example, if a student answers a question incorrectly, a teacher might respond by saying, “Talk me through your thinking on this word problem—I agree with three of the four steps you’ve taken; go back, review your steps, and let me know what you think.” We place high value on making thinking visible. 

→ We scaffold instruction by building on skills students have already mastered, helping them move on confidently to higher-level content. For example, once a student is fluent using a five-frame, we’ll introduce a 10-frame, advancing content in a framework that is known and understood. 

→ Manipulatives and models are key multisensory tools we incorporate into lessons. Younger students might use five- and 10-frames, blocks, and counters, while older students use peg boards with rubber bands to chart out area and perimeter. These tools help students to visualize math concepts, shifting them off the page and into the real world.

How are executive functioning skills embedded in math instruction?

The four key tenets of executive functioning—initiate, sustain, inhibit, and shift (ISIS)—are thoughtfully woven into our math instruction. 

Initiate: Visuals and reference sheets help students remember how to start a math problem. If it’s a word problem, that means reading through it once and boxing out the important information.

Sustain: Advocacy skills are emphasized, encouraging students to ask questions, seek help, and persevere when they get stuck.

Inhibit: We help students manage distractions by allowing them to move around the classroom and choose positions that support their focus. 

Shift: Educators encourage flexible thinking by showing different ways to solve the same problem. By exploring various methods, students get a deeper understanding of math concepts.

The great strength of Carroll students is that they are outside-the-box thinkers and learners. I am so often amazed by the creative, unique ways they decide to tackle a problem or an assignment. So, when we teach math our approach needs to be equally imaginative, flexible, and tailored to their learning styles. That’s what we do so well at Carroll, in all our subject areas. We prioritize expansive—not limiting—thinking and learning because that is what the world outside of academia demands, so we ensure that our students are incredibly well prepared for this.

Are you eager to learn more about the Math Program at Carroll? Please join us at 7 p.m. on January 16, 2025 for a Q&A with Peter Morris, our Lower School Math Department Head, and Tara Kreder, our Middle School Math Department Head. Stacey Daniels, Assistant Head of School, will be asking questions posed by our parents about our math program across all 3 divisions (Grades 1-9). Register here.

We are keen to address what is top of mind for families and welcome you to share your questions ahead of time on this form: https://forms.gle/GpSa3RWo5vq94oKe9

We will be taking questions live that evening as well, time permitting. We hope you can join us!