Teaching Multiplication to Middle School Students With Mental Retardation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching multiplication facts and related word problems using the concrete-representational-abstract teaching sequence and strategy instruction to middle school students with mental retardation. A multiple baseline design across three subjects was used to assess the instructional methodology. The students were taught 21 scripted lessons that included advance organizers, demonstrations, guided practice, independent practice, and feedback. Baseline and intervention data along with pre- and posttest scores reflect excellent progress for all three subjects. Of the 63 lessons assessed, there were only four occurrences of performance below 80%. The findings of this investigation suggest that the concrete-representational-abstract teaching sequence coupled with strategy instruction can be used to teach multiplication facts and related word problems to students with mental retardation.