Teach Math Like a Play

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Tier 1 Interventions

Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer

65 episodes

5 days ago

Math intervention, writing intervention, neurobiology, and cognitive-based learning - Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer are sharing how to incorporate them into your classroom. Jonily is a secondary math teacher and instructional coach for math K-12. Cheri is an occupational therapist specializing in neurology-based treatment across the lifespan and a Strategy-based Interventionist. Jonily secretly calls Cheri her Lesson Plan Whisperer because Cheri is always in her head, reminding her of the foundations of development before academics begin. They met in 2018 and have been talking ever since. Together, they have discovered the Miracle Math Classroom. This classroom embeds all math standards from Kindergarten to twelfth grade, plus neuro-based interventions that improve proficiency and boost student engagement. Both gifted and learning support students thrive using the interventions they share, plus all students in between. Using cognitive enhancing techniques strategically placed in the lesson plan, students learn more and enjoy school more, and fewer students get removed from critical instruction for Tier Three Interventions. Jonily has discovered how to teach all Kindergarten through algebra math standards using twelve, that’s right, twelve Reference Tasks. They include the Pizza Problem, 120-Chart, Paper Folding, Making Rectangles, Quick Dots, Locker Problem, Jesse and Kay, Geoboard, Candy Problem, Paint Problem, Staircase, and the Function Machine. Cheri uses Body-Brain Anchors to ignite the flame inside everyone’s brain for learning. Whether a person is five or 90, her strategy-based interventions will ignite that flame. These Brain-Body Anchors include the Handstand Flip, Interlaced Bilateral Integration, and the Body Sentence Alphabet. Together, they connect the puzzle behind math instruction and instructional delivery alongside these cognitive-enhancing activities to maximize math education for all students. Join us live on the third Saturday of the month, sans July, for the math behind the Reference Task. Every live event is approximately 2.5 contact hours. The first 30-ish minutes become this podcast. To hear the entire training, join our membership program. Please note: we will not record on holiday weekends. Join our mailing list for updates on dates. To join us live, register at Tier1interventions.com. The 2.5-hour sessions include the PowerPoint slides, additional audio files of Jonily teaching the Reference Task, resources from Cheri, and much more. A subscription to these 2.5-hour Workshops is $97/month or $947/year. Membership includes: *Approximately 27.5 hours of direct training per year *Audio files of Jonily's Hear Me Teach segments - complete *PowerPoint Slides to grab and use in your Magic Math Classroom *Resources from Jonily and Cheri for you and your students *A copy of Math DYSconnected when released. Or, you can listen to the first segment on your favorite podcast app for free; no membership is required. No matter how you listen, you will come away with golden nuggets that will transform your classroom. Reach out to Jonily: jonily@mindsonmath.com Reach out to Cheri: info@cheridotterer.com Tier1Interventions.com

All content for Tier 1 Interventions is the property of Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Teach Math Like a Play

Tier 1 Interventions

22 minutes

2 weeks ago

Teach Math Like a Play

What if your math lessons felt more like a story than a worksheet?
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic reveal how to teach math like a play — using the power of storytelling to captivate every student.

Discover how the Three-Act Math Story (Act 1 Hook • Act 2 Story • Act 3 Offer) transforms problem-solving into curiosity-driven learning. You’ll hear how teachers spark engagement with focus triggers like “Tell me about…” and nonverbal cues such as spirit fingers and jazz hands — all while keeping math meaningful, memorable, and fun.

🎭 Because when math class has a plot, every student becomes part of the story.

💬 Drop your thoughts and experiences in the comments—start the conversation and build the movement because every student deserves to feel like a mathematician.

🔔 Subscribe for more Tier 1 math interventions, strategies, and training.
📅 Join the next Masterclass → https://disabilitylabs.com/calendar

💬 COMMENT BELOW: What’s YOUR take on starting with division?

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Tier 1 Interventions

00:38 Why Students Stop Thinking

02:06 The Three-Act Math Play

03:56 The Natalie Strategy: Get Every Student Talking

06:25 Leveling the Playing Field

08:05 Every Kid Has an Entry Point

10:18 Teach Like a Champion in Math Class

13:05 Hook • Story • Offer for Teachers

14:56 Spirit Fingers vs Jazz Hands 😂

19:56 Tangents That Teach

21:24 Preview: Double-Digit Multiplication

🎯 Ready to Change Math Outcomes in 10 Days?

👉 Join our FREE Masterclass for school leaders, teachers, and OTs:
https://disabilitylabs.com/calendar

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🔗 Stay Connected

🌐 Website: https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-bundle
📧 Disability Labs Community: https://disabilitylabs.com/community/3d-learning-lounge-1

🎙️ Credits:
Host: Cheri Dotterer
Co-Host: Jonily Zupancic
Production: Disability Labs Podcast Network

🧠 Resources Mentioned:

Mastery Math Method Level One (Lifetime Access): https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-bundle
Mastery Math Method Level Two (Annual Subscription): https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-method-group-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: The content shared in this video is for educational purposes only and does not replace your district’s policies or individualized education plans. Always consult with your instructional team before implementing new strategies.

🏷️ Hashtags

#Tier1Interventions #MathIntervention #MasteryMathMethod #TeachingStrategies #SpecialEducation #MTSS #NeurodiverseLearning #Jonily #Cheri

#MathEducation #TeacherLife #MasteryMath #Dysgraphia #Tier1Interventions #MathCoaching #Storytellinginmath

Tier 1 Interventions