The second of the intervention programs outlined in chapter 8 is called "Pirate Math". This program is a 16 week tutoring program targeted towards second and third grade students. Lessons are organized into five activities and the central theme is one of "pirates".
For the first activity, students are given a set of addition and subtraction flash cards and are taught to "count up". For addition, students start from the larger number and count up to reach the sum. For subtraction, students start from the number being subtracted, and count up to find the difference. Then, students play with a tutor to try to beat their previous score (of flash cards answered correctly). As this program continues, students are taught how to recognize three different problem types. They are:
A) Total - Combining two numbers to find a sum
B) Difference - Finding the difference between a bigger number and a smaller number
C) Change - A problem in which there is a starting amount, and something in the problem increases or decreases this amount (students must find the ending amount).
The second activity is called "Word Problem Warm-Up". Students are asked to explain the correct way to solve a word problem from a previous lesson. It allows students to display their thinking, as well as re-teach/review things that have been taught previously.
To classify the problem type, students are asked to follow an acronym called "RUN" which stands for:
Read the problem
Underline the question
Name the problem type
After students figure out the problem type, they work their way through three questions that guide them to set up the correct number sentence to solve the problem.
Lastly, there are "Sorting Cards" which students use to continue practice in classifying problem types. The flash cards contain word problems that are read by the tutor and the student is to identify the problem type, and places the flash card on a sorting mat. Cards that are sorted incorrectly are reviewed at the end of the lesson. Teachers circulate and give feedback to student pairs.
There is an incorporated behavior management system in which students rewarded with "treasure coins" for exhibiting student-like behaviors such as: listening, following directions, completing assigned work, and improving their skills. Students color in a treasure map at the end of a lesson (based on the number of coins earned). When the map is fully colored, students earn a prize.
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