Teaching Calculator Skills to Elementary Students Who Have Learning Problems

Abstract

The most recent amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 2004) and the regulations of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) emphasize teaching general education curriculum to students with disabilities whenever possible. As a result, the majority of students with mild disabilities are educated in the general classroom, and elementary teachers are responsible for helping them succeed in the grade-level curriculum. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards stress the use of technology for mathematics instruction at all grade levels, and middle and high school mathematics teachers use graphing calculators extensively. In this article, the author discusses why it is important for elementary education teachers to introduce early calculators with modifications for students with mild disabilities.

Keywords:

• calculators
• elementary education
• mathematics instruction
• modifications
• students with learning problems
• technology