Identifying barriers and designing solutions for the math class

The math classroom can be a daunting place for any learner. With the UDL framework, you can find proactive ways to design your instruction to overcome any barriers in the learning environment and make math even more accessible to all learners.

Get your free guide

This online guide is full of suggested solutions that you can put into practice in your classroom. To find out how to help more learners get their “Eureka Moment” download this free resource.

Universal Design for Learning opens the door to opportunities for our learners. It’s important that each student is held to the same high standards, but the way students get the answer can be a surprise.

Once teachers articulate a goal for learning, they need to be proactive in anticipating the barriers that may present themselves in that learning experience. Students can "solve" a problem in a number of ways, such as verbally, using text, or using images.

In this guide you will learn how to navigate barriers such as:

  1. Learner variability
  2. Creating a clear, flexible learning goal
  3. Ways we ask students to express themselves
  4. Overcoming a fixed mindset
  5. Lack of prior knowledge
  6. Language and academic language
  7. Internal barriers to the affective network (ex. being bullied at school; being hungry, tired, cold/hot; feeling depressed or disconnected; feeling upset by something that may have happened either in or outside of the learning environment)