Computers and software programs afford students with disabilities opportunities to participate in math activities and manipulate objects for counting, sorting, combining, and completing math problems.
Computers and software programs afford students with disabilities opportunities to participate in math activities and manipulate objects for counting, sorting, combining, and completing math problems. Such assistive technology options create access to classroom math materials for students with sensory, cognitive and/or physical disabilities who may need alternate strategies to hands-on manipulation and hand-written calculations.
Many free Web sites are available that are filled with multiple math and numeracy games as well as instructional videos. One safe-for-kids site to explore, that has been used successfully with a wide range of students including those with intellectual disabilities, is called the Math Playground (http://www.mathplay-ground.com). Skills for elementary and middle school math are included in games like Making Change and Alien Angles . There is a section on word problems that is organized by grade level and includes self- checking problems. There are instructional math videos for many skills that include visual aids with audi- tory assistance. There is, also, a section for manipulatives that can be used online.
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives is a site that provides online tools and manipulative activities to help students understand abstract math concepts.
T-TAC ODU offers a CD version of the for loan. The CD utilizes the features of the online version while allowing more options without the use of the internet. Students can save work for review and assessment purposes. A print feature is available for all manipulatives and on-screen help instructions. (Instructions also can be cusomized.) There are 115 virtual math manipulatives spanning grades K-12 and covering topics such as Number & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis & Probability. T-TAC library material #200117.
Math Missions – The activities in this software program use math skills to solve real-world problems and earn money to play fun arcade games. Travel around Spectacle City by bus, subway, or ferry and complete 12 math activities like counting candy, sorting toys, or constructing a skyscraper. (Grades K-2). T-TAC library material #4437.
Clipitz Number Set- Students use clips along with an assortment of sturdy picture cards to learn more about numbers and number words, or even to create a train of cards to form math equations. The set, from ETA Cuisenaire, includes 104 cards featuring numerals, dots, objects, and written-out numbers, and 52 plastic clips in a storage box. Grades PreK–1. T-TAC library material #200127.
IntelliMathics – A problem solving tool with on-screen manipulatives the can be used to help students master a variety of math applications. T-TAC library material #2440.
