Tier 1 Interventions


In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri Dotterer and co-host Jonily dive deep into the Candy Problem—a discussion that exposes the failures of traditional math instruction. Kirk and other passionate educators join this four-part series. They explore the neuroscience of learning, why manipulatives are crucial, and how math instruction must evolve. If you've ever wondered why so many students struggle with math or how we can make lasting changes, this episode is a must-listen! Sit back and listen to Part 3


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DisabilityLabs.com sponsors this video podcast. We are committed to IMPACT the journey of 200K teachers (3M students) by 2030 so they can reignite their passion for teaching.

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RESOURCES/COURSES MENTIONED
All episodes of Tier 1 Interventions are recorded live and edited for teachers, therapists, and parents to consume on their way to work.
Join the Next Tier 1 Interventions Workshops LIVE: https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/tier-1-interventions-workshops
2025.
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BOOKS
Making Mathineers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Mathineers-Transformational-Experiences-Conceptual-ebook/dp/B08NFCZ64K
Handwriting Brain Body DISconnect Digital Version: https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/hwbbd
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Handwriting-Brain-Body-DisConnect-techniques-ebook/dp/B07N1XB1G7
Both books are also available in paperback and hardcover versions. All versions are available wherever books are sold.

Math DYSconnected - To be released in 2025.
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TIME STAMPS
02:30 Why direct instruction isn’t always effective
05:15 The Car Problem: A professional development strategy
09:00 Counting as the foundation for all math learning
14:30 Rote counting: Why exposure comes before understanding
18:00 Using manipulatives to build number sense
22:30 The five stages of counting in math instruction
27:00 Applying counting skills to algebra and higher-level math
30:00 Closing thoughts: The future of math instruction
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SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to the Audio version of the podcast here on YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tier-1-interventions/id1729403599?uo=4
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/72Wmq8ddduGz4eUMK7LVIy
AMAZON MUSIC/AUDIBLE: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/89f67d1a-98b5-4592-a53c-8f4acb3d8029
This podcast is created from excerpts from the Tier 1 Interventions Workshop. To hear the full math intervention, subscribe to watch the event live monthly on the 3rd Saturday during the school year.
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MISSION
We are committed to IMPACT the journey of 200K teachers (3M students) by 2030 so they can reignite their passion for teaching.
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WORK WITH US:
Join Tier 1 Workshops. Complete episodes with bonuses are included in the course. New episodes are added after the live events. https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/tier-1-interventions-workshops
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FREE RESOURCES
Saturday Math and IMPACT Wednesday https://www.eventbrite.com/o/jonily-zupancic-8523599443
3 Interventions OTs need to make your Students' Math Stick!
https://3MathInterventions.eventbrite.com
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Other ways to connect with Jonily and Cheri
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tier1interventions
IG: https://www.instagram.com/cheridotterer/
https://www.instagram.com/jonilyzupancic/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheridotterer/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonily-zupancic-29aa7a54/
X: https://twitter.com/CheriDotterer
https://twitter.com/mindsonmath
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cheridotterer
https://www.tiktok.com/@mindsonmath
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BE THE FIRST TO KNOW
Join our community https://disabilitylabs.com/community
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HASHTAGS
#tier1interventions #mindsonmath #jonily #cheri #TeacherTips #MathEducation #ClassroomStrategies #TeachingMath #K12Education #MathTeachers #EducationMatters #TeacherLife #MathInterventions #NumberSense #MathFluency #CountingStrategies #MathAutomaticity #MathPatterns #STEMEducation #MathDifferentiation #PodcastForTeachers #EducationPodcast #TeachingPodcast #MathPodcast


  • (02:30) - Why direct instruction isn’t always effective
  • (05:15) - The Car Problem: A professional development strategy
  • (09:00) - Counting as the foundation for all math learning
  • (14:30) - Rote counting: Why exposure comes before understanding
  • (18:00) - Using manipulatives to build number sense
  • (22:30) - The five stages of counting in math instruction
  • (27:00) - Applying counting skills to algebra and higher-level math
  • (30:00) - Closing thoughts: The future of math instruction

Creators & Guests

Host
Cheri Dotterer
Hacking barriers to writing success, dysgraphia No ✏️ Required. 30-sec@time Speaker | Podcast Host | Author | Consultanthttps://t.co/eM1CXSUIoZ
Host
Jonily Zupancic
Middle School Math Instructional Coach

What is Tier 1 Interventions?

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