Howdy Regina:
Regina Finan wrote in a message to Alinda Harrison:
RF> and regrouping.  Jonathon who won the Michigan Educational 
RF> Assessment Program (MEAP) in math does well.  He only has
RF> problems adding  more than 5 numbers together.  It is
RF> because he can not follow a straight  line down the page or
RF> put numbers on a page in a straight line.  Which of  course
RF> messes him up.  If I do it with him one at a time he is
RF> okay. At  first when we did these problems, I thought he was
RF> having trouble adding  and we worked on it over and over
RF> again.  Finally, I found out it was not  a concept or
RF> academic problem.  It was a learning problem.  His brain 
RF> does not work in straight anything.  He has a stigmatism in
RF> one of his  eyes that can not be corrected.  It is only very
RF> slight, but it affects  looking at long numbers.  Also he
RF> understands what to do, but what he  sees does not match
RF> what ends up in his brain.  Mass confusion.  I decided  it
RF> since he can do it if I block out other number and adds
RF> perfectly, we  went on to something else.  I will have to
RF> wait until he understands better  how to conpensate for this
RF> learning problem.
May I offer a possible strategy you may be able to use now.  Set your 
problems up inside of blocks, one digit per block.  Jonathon can enter his 
digits numbers and they will all be in alignment.  Then he can take a 3x5 
note card to cover the digits which are not of immediate concern, adding only 
those in the column which are open to him.  If he needs to closure on a per 
column basis, he can use a colored hilighter to mark the digit columns which 
are completed.  Allow Jonathon to select his color.   Eventually, he should 
be able to shed the card, then the hilighter, and eventually the blocks.
         your numbers go in here
          ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
          \/   \/   \/   \/   \/
        |    |    |    |    |    |      addend 1
        |____|____|____|____|____|
        |    |    |    |    |    |      addend 2
        |____|____|____|____|____|
  --------------------------------
        |    |    |    |    |    |      sum
        |____|____|____|____|____|
Often times, stratetgies such as these slow a student down long enough for 
them to focus (visually and mentally) on the problem.  This particular 
strategy is used frequently to teach students to allign their place values, 
especially for students with visual difficulties.
Best wishes,
       /\
/^v^\ | /^v^\
       \/
--- timEd-B9
---------------