| Mathematics is one of the most challenging areas for students with learning disabilities (LD), and mathematics educators are continuously searching for ways to instruct these students, especially in the general education classroom. A wider range of student achievement occurs for students with LD when they are in inclusive settings, therefore teachers must use instructional strategies that are beneficial to all students.;In special education settings, graphic organizers have been shown to improve conceptual understanding of certain algebraic concepts in mathematics, and the use of color as a stimulus has been shown to improve both attention and computational fluency. In two systemic replications, one randomly assigned inclusion class was taught to add and subtract rational expressions through explicit instruction with a color coded Venn diagram organizer. Another similar inclusion class was taught with the same methods using a color coded concept map organizer. Results from the pre and posttests showed that including a color coded graphic organizer with explicit instruction improved the conceptual understanding of the procedures for adding and subtracting rational expressions for all students. Survey results revealed that students found the graphic organizers helpful in adding and subtracting rational expressions and that students enjoyed using the graphic organizers because it kept them organized. |
