How do I teach 6th grade standard of Ratio to students on a 1st grade eduacation level?

Question

^{Student is in 6th grade.}

        ^{I have a couple of students who have VERY little number sense and I have to do ratio and proportions for MCAS ALT math.  The level starts at 6th grade so I can’t spiral down to a lower grade.  We have been working on part to part relationships with stickers, etc.   The students don’t have to count passed 5 for the ratio, but they don’t even have the number sense to count to 5.  For Number Sense we are working on labeling a number line 1-5 with slow progress.}

Answer 1

Look at Touch Math to teach the concept of number sense. As soon as they can tell the difference between 1-5, by using visual, auditory, and tactile means; teach proportions first, by making up a story that one person is on this side of the = sign, and another person is on the other side. They both have = numbers of candies. Then introduce ratio with a story about one person only, who has 1 candy in one hand and 5 in the other hand and explain that is called a ratio. At the first grade level, I would not expect comprehension. Slowly give concrete examples until they can tell a story without manipulatives. Give plenty of examples, so they they learn that two ratios=a proportion, then introduce the math skills associated with these skills.

Answer 2

Hi Kathleen,

 

I tutored a young man who turned out to have ADD, bipolar, and autism issues.  The mother did not tell me all of that until later when tutoring was not going well.  I was not qualified for that, but I did some research on teaching people with such limitations.  There are techniques for this but I think you would learn them in special ed training, not via Internet research.  I have a cousin who does special ed teaching and it requires a lot of unique skills.  It sounds like you need some of those skills or a way to learn them.  I am sorry that I do not have a better answer.

 

Regards,

Jim G.