Visually Impaired Resource Guide Mathematics Grade Two and Three

Children are now learning how adding, subtraction, multiplying and dividing can be used in daily activities and for solving problems. They learn to collect information and to display it using pictures and symbols. Students learn the basic facts of addition, subtraction and multiplication, as well as ways of estimating.

The brailler and abacus are used regularly in conjunction with manipulatives and a tactile/braille/large print number line. These should become the daily tools for solving problems and learning how to record and read Nemeth information. Students learn to collect and display information using representational tactile symbols.

Learning and practicing how to manipulate braille paper and the brailler, for calculation purposes, needs to be mastered. Considerable time is necessary at this level to teach the student how to work with the Nemeth format and how to represent the operations and calculations on a braille page.

Please refer to the Math Overview for additional information.

Learning About Numbers

• extend counting, estimating, adding and subtracting the three numbers and place value to four numbers begin to learn about decimals and basic multiplication and division facts start to learn about fractions and how they can be written differently as equivalent fraction and decimals (e.g., 1/2 = 4/8 = 0.5) continue to solve addition and subtraction problems with whole numbers

Estimation is a very important skill when using the calculator and should be stressed from this level on upward. Place value provides an opportunity to teach the abacus to the entire class and reinforces this concept for all students. An added benefit is that at least one student will likely enjoy and understand the abacus to the level of being a resource for the visually impaired student. The abacus is an excellent tool for keeping score when playing games.

When using the abacus, comma and decimal point inserters can be used to help with calculations. A braille set of multiplication and division facts are useful tools for the home and classroom. A screen board and tactile card games are excellent ways to reinforce math facts and involve peer groups. These activities can be used for indoor days and help facilitate integration. Drilling math facts can become an independent activity with the use of a specialized tape recorder(Foto-Fonics) for tactile and auditory recording.

Fractions are introduced at this level and time will need to be spent in reading and recording fractions using the symbols and rules of the Nemeth code. Oakmount materials, provided at no cost for visually impaired students, are excellent tactile tools for the teaching of fractional concepts.

Data Analysis

• extend collecting and displaying data to include tallies (totals by category)
• use tables and pictographs to solve problems

Continue to use manipulatives but gradually shift to braille representation of data. Commercially produced and teacher prepared materials can be useful in dealing with tables to solve problems. Whenever feasible use meaningful concrete materials.

Geometry

• identify, describe and classify more complex figures and objects
• learn the names of figures and shapes (e.g., circle, triangles, square)
• begin to learn about patterns a figure makes when it moves around

Students will learn how to describe the attributes of figures and shapes. (i.e. triangles have 3 pointed corners and the sides are all straight lines) A screen board or geoboard are useful tools when teaching and reinforcing geometry concepts. A brailler can be used to make Nemeth numbers and symbols creating pattern worksheets with prediction tasks at the end.

Learning About Measurements

• learn about area, capacity (volume), mass (weight) and temperature
• compare, estimate, measure and record, using common metric units and measuring tools
• begin to solve problems involving money, length, capacity (volume)

Buddy systems for experiments and teacher descriptions are good tools at this level of instruction. Tactile measuring devices are available from the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) to help with measurement. [refer to the Vision Resource Teacher in your area for further information] The brailler continues to be the main tool of recording Nemeth information and instruction time will need to be set aside to learn the Nemeth rules for problems involving money, length, and capacity. It is helpful at this stage to continue to use real money and as many concrete environmental examples of measurement as possible.

Algebra

• Algebra is not part of the mathematics program in K to 3

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