Making Math Accessible with Eureka Math²

Greater student access to rigorous math content is a hallmark of the Eureka Math^2™ curriculum. Supports for accessibility were not simply tacked on after the curriculum was written. Instead, Eureka Math² was purposely designed and built from the ground up with content accessibility in mind by using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.^[1] Research shows that no two brains are alike: Everyone’s brain is unique in the way it processes information. Eureka Math² lessons were built with this learning variability in mind. The curriculum addresses the how, what, and why of learning in ways that make its content accessible to all learners.

Action and expression are about the how of learning.

The UDL framework embraces the principle that a curriculum should provide students with multiple means of acting on and expressing their understanding of the content. Students navigate their learning environments in different ways. They may choose a variety of tools, models, thinking strategies, or communication methods when solving math problems, and they may need different supports to use those items effectively. Eureka Math² is designed to accommodate those learning differences. The Action & Expression margin boxes in your Teach book offer guidance on how to address this UDL principle. Here are two examples of Eureka Math² Action & Expression margin boxes that support student learning in grade 3.

As you teach with Eureka Math² and work to support the how of learning, consider the following guiding questions:

• How will my students physically engage with this lesson (e.g., drawing, using manipulatives, moving around the classroom)?
• How will my students communicate about their learning (e.g., writing, talking, practicing new vocabulary)?
• How will my students interact with their peers and teachers (e.g., small groups, independent work, displaying work for the class)?
• How will my students organize their work and monitor their own progress?

Representation is about the what of learning.

Because all students are different, they perceive, process, and comprehend information in many ways. All students benefit from multiple representations of the math because they can make connections among representations that help them remember and transfer learning to new situations. Eureka Math² intentionally incorporates different representations throughout the curriculum, noting their purpose and potential uses in the Representation margin boxes in your Teach book. Here are two examples of Eureka Math² Representation margin boxes that support student learning in grades 3 and 4.   

As you teach with Eureka Math² and work to support the what of learning, consider the following guiding questions:

• How can I help my students activate prior learning?
• How can I help my students understand the language and symbols this lesson uses?
• How can I help my students see patterns, important features, and big ideas?
• How can I help my students make connections among different representations and mathematical ideas?

Engagement is about the why of learning.

Students differ widely in the ways they engage with math content and are motivated to learn. For instance, something spontaneous or new may excite one learner but make another anxious. For that reason, Eureka Math² offers students many different opportunities for engagement, persistence, and reflection, and lessons provide that support in the Engagement margin boxes in your Teach book. Here are two examples of Eureka Math² Engagement margin boxes that support student learning in grade 3.

As you teach with Eureka Math² and work to support the why of learning, consider the following guiding questions:

• What will get my students interested in this lesson? How can I make the lesson relevant to my students’ daily lives?
• How can I help my students persist through tasks and productive struggle?
• How can I help students cope with challenges and frustrations?
• What opportunities can I provide so students can self-assess and reflect on the lesson?

The Eureka Math² design supports all students in accessing their grade-level math content. As you explore Eureka Math², look for the elements of accessibility embedded in the curriculum that open the math to every one of your students.

[1] CAST. Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org, 2018.