WHAT’S MISSING: A Focus on Misconceptions

Students with tier-two and tier-three needs are the most at risk of not meeting standards. Yet, many schools and districts lack the solutions necessary to help these students succeed. One of the most common problems for students at these tiers is that they approach math with flawed or incomplete knowledge. If not addressed, these misconceptions hinder student learning. America’s Choice instructional solutions repair these misconceptions.

For example, second-grade students are often taught to line up columns of numbers to add them. This works when they are adding whole numbers. But in third grade, when they add decimals, lining up numbers can produce the wrong sum if the numerals have different significant digits. The key is to make sure students understand the mathematical concept of addition, not just the procedure for how to do it. Research shows that students who are taught by repairing misconceptions retain their learning over time.

Correcting Misconceptions Versus Remedial Learning

A study by Alan Bell and Malcolm Swan found that student
whose teachers addressed and corrected misconceptions,
rather than simply using remedial measures, achieved and
maintained higher long-term learning results.