STEP 1a: Identify the standard or standards being addressed in instruction. This could be related to content being taught over one or two weeks (and pre-assess only for that content as part of STEP 2).

Standard 4.NTB.5 Common Core Standards Mathematics (p.29)
Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

STEP 1b: Identify the previous grade-level content students will need to be successful in learning the grade-level standard. This is a similar process to Math for All’s listing the demands of a task, limited to the content demands.

The content below is critical for students to know in order to access the fourth grade content in discussion:

• Fluently multiply and divide within 100, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers
• Use an understanding of place value to decompose numbers into hundreds, tens and ones
• Understand the distributive property in the context of single digit multiplication, such as: 8 x 7, i.e. 8 x 7 as 8 x (5 + 2) and (8 x 5) + (8 x 2) and its connection to the array

Understanding the mathematical trajectories for the specific content is essential. For support on the critical math standards for each grade refer to the Focus by Grade Level documents from  Achieve the Core. For an understanding how those standards develop over the grades refer to the University of Arizona’s Progression Documents.

Once we understand what we can about the content standards both at and prior to current grade level, we are ready for Step 2.

STEP 2: Determine students’ readiness for grade-level work by creating a short pre-assessment to understand what students know and what needs to be reviewed, practiced or learned. Then analyze the data to group students based on the prerequisite skills that need targeted instruction.

For our 4th grade example, this pre-assessment could include asking students to:

• Break apart numbers by place value, such as 35, 236, 1254;
• Create an array to solve 12 x 5;
• Determine which equations (4 options) that represent 8 x 7.

STEP 3: Begin instruction with on-grade-level content for all students while inserting key ideas from previous grades to support unfinished learning. This could be anything from providing a temporary support like a multiplication chart and/or a calculator to access basic facts or starting with a few targeted activities from the prior year as a bridge to grade-level content. It is key that prior grade-level activities connect directly to the current grade-level standards – i.e. “just in time”.

These prior grade activities could be infused in teacher-led small group instruction and math stations throughout the unit to provide support for students who need it. For example, in a small teacher-led group, students can be supported in building arrays and writing equations for 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication problems (15 x 4) prior to building an array for larger numbers (42 x 56).  In math stations, games and activities utilizing basic fact array cards, such as arranging square tiles into rectangles, can connect one-by-one digit arrays to facts as students strengthen automaticity. Sending these games and activities home engages care-givers in the students’ goal of getting their basic facts to memory and understanding the connection of a multiplication fact and its array as they work on the 4th grade level content of using models to multiply large numbers.

This unit by unit approach to accelerated learning provides students with experiences in grade-level content while assessing and addressing unfinished learning with just in time instruction. More help for planning accelerated learning could be found in supplemental instructional materials recently added by publishers. Returning to normalcy in school will take time, an accelerated learning approach is one tool that may help in this process.

References

Accelerate, don’t remediate. (2021, May 23). The New Teacher Project.

Hirsh, S. (2020, September 1). How to accelerate learning for all students in the 2020–21 school year. Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Rollins, S. P. (2014). Learning in the fast lane: 8 ways to put all students on the road to academic success. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Takabori, A. (n.d.). Learning acceleration, not remediation, for a fantastic school year. Carnegie Learning.

What is unfinished learning? (2019, October 23). Achievement Network.