February 07, 2025

Supporting students with math difficulties with Sarah Powell (Ep 41)

58 minutes

Join Anna Stokke in conversation with Dr. Sarah Powell, a leading expert in teaching students with math difficulties. They discuss the shortcomings of a recent joint position statement by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) on teaching math to students with disabilities.

Sarah critiques the statement’s failure to include critical evidence-based practices, such as explicit instruction, and its reliance on vague or unsupported recommendations. She highlights research-backed strategies that can truly help students struggling with math, emphasizing the ethical responsibility of educators, policymakers, and advocates to ensure effective math instruction. Sarah also co-authored a response to the position statement.

Note: The resource page for this episode contains a link to the NCTM/CEC position statement, Sarah’s group’s response, and other articles mentioned in the episode: annastokke.com/ep-41-resources

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction

05:06 Understanding math disabilities

08:19 The NCTM/CEC position statement

17:06 Does growth mindset help math outcomes?

17:53 Is UDL evidence based?

21:57 Evidence-based practices for teaching math

29:07 The omission of explicit instruction

30:55 Why explicit instruction is important

35:51 The IES practice guide

38:50 Consequences of poor instruction

41:44 The Influence of NCTM and CEC

43:26 Recommendations for effective math instruction

49:43 Preventing math difficulties

56:02 Final thoughts

RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES

Ep 29 Math fact crisis: Strategies for improving numeracy with Brian Poncy https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-u9y84-165d773

Ep 30 Math Fluency matters with Brian Poncy

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-pj6z6-166741e

Ep 25 Understanding math reform ideology with Tom Loveless

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-7ih4c-15dbf9a

Ep 21 The right to learn math with Daniel Ansari

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-4nv9n-1527568

Ep 3 The Science of Math with Amanda VanDerHeyden

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bksbz-13c732d

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-41-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-41-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Blue Dot Sessions – Thannoid, Tarte Tatin, Cornicob, Momentary Ease

Podington Bear – Proliferate

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

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By Anna Stokke

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