Chapter 6: Teaching Mathematics Equitably to All Children
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
1) Which statement about equity is most true?
a) All students should have the same amount of the teacher’s attention devoted to them.
b) The NCTM’s position statement defines equity as high expectations, respect, understanding, and
strong support for all students.
c) Students with special needs can’t demonstrate a level of proficiency equal to that of their peers.
d) Under law, all students are entitled to exactly the same classroom experiences.
TRUE/FALSE. Write “T” if the statement is true and “F” if the statement is false.
2) It is not enough for a teacher to have the desire to be equitable. He/she must be familiar with specific
strategies that accommodate each type of learner.
3) Research has shown that tracking benefits advanced and struggling learners because it allows the teacher to
focus on their specific needs.
4) Many of the strategies that are effective for learners with diverse needs are actually strategies that work for
all learners.
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
5) The best description of what is meant by the term RTI is
a) A model that meets the needs of struggling students by referring them into the special education
system as soon as they begin to fail.
b) A tiered student support model that focuses on prevention, providing students with support before
they begin to fail.
c) A system of maintaining order and discipline within the classroom to ensure better chances of
success for all.
d) A support system of instructional strategies that is effective only for the students who struggle the
most.
6) Common features across RTI tiers include all of the following EXCEPT
a) Explicit instruction
b) Research-based practices
c) Strategies that are specific to the context of the school, classroom, and student needs
d) Decisions that are based on data
SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or
answers the question.
7) The term ___________________________________ refers to the formative assessment that guides
students’ movement within RTI tiers.
ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.
8) Describe two strategies that could be used with students who display difficulties in math, such as those with
mild disabilities or who fall into RTI tier 2, and an appropriate example of how each could be used with a
student.
9) Describe two strategies that could be used with students who have moderate and severe disabilities and an
appropriate example of how each could be used with a student.
TRUE/FALSE. Write “T” if the statement is true and “F” if the statement is false.
10) The fact that “math is a universal language” means that there are few cultural differences between the
methods for doing math.
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
11) To make teaching more culturally relevant, teachers should
a) Simplify the mathematics into isolated sets of skills.
b) Ignore students’ background knowledge, as it’s frequently irrelevant to the math.
c) Incorporate students’ identities.
d) Assign leadership positions only to those students they believe to be the most capable.
12) Effective instruction for teaching math to English language learners (ELLs) should
a) Include family connections to create supportive partnerships for student learning.
b) Discourage the use of native languages during instruction.
c) Avoid references to the students’ native language and culture.
d) Primarily focus on independent work, to build student ownership of learning.
13) Some gender-specific issues that continue to be present in the classroom include which of the following?
a) Teacher interactions that convey gender bias
b) Male students being afraid of looking “too smart” in front of females
c) Biological differences that result in lower female success in mathematics classes
d) Female teachers with math anxiety positively influencing female math achievement
ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.
14) Describe four specific ways you might address the needs of a student with low motivation.
TRUE/FALSE. Write “T” if the statement is true and “F” if the statement is false.
15) Students who are gifted thrive most when given more work than the other students in the class.
16) The best reward for students who finish work more quickly than other students is providing them with free
time.
SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or
answers the question.
17) ________________________ activities are those that go beyond the topic of study to content that is not
specifically a part of the grade-level curriculum.
