“Working with Becky has revolutionized how I teach and coach educators in mathematics instruction. I first connected with her during a virtual seminar on dyscalculia and math disabilities, where her deep expertise in how the brain learns math truly stood out. Recognizing the value of her insights, I enrolled in her Decoding Math course and saw immediate benefits. My students in primary grades, who previously struggled with visualizing quantities to decompose and compose, greatly benefited from Becky’s strategies, particularly her instruction on using dot patterns. These methods enabled my students to better conceptualize and work with numbers. I highly recommend Becky’s course to any educator seeking effective and research-based methodologies in mathematics instruction.”
Lesley Yanka
Math Instruction Specialist
Chelmsford Public Schools, MA
“Becky Lord’s professional development sessions have provided educators with an invaluable understanding of the cognitive processes involved in learning mathematics, bridging the gap between theory and practice. By emphasizing that math is not merely a set of rules and formulas, but a complex cognitive activity that engages various brain functions, she’s helping teachers approach math instruction with a deeper awareness of how students learn.
Another important aspect of her sessions is her focus on dyscalculia, a learning difference that can significantly affect how students approach math. By giving teachers the knowledge to identify signs of dyscalculia early on, she’s ensuring that educators are better equipped to support students who may struggle with math in unique ways. This proactive approach can lead to more personalized and effective interventions, helping students with dyscalculia overcome obstacles and thrive in math.
Overall, Becky Lord’s PD sessions are built around the idea that effective math teaching requires both an understanding of cognitive science and practical strategies that cater to the brain’s natural learning processes. By grounding math instruction in research and providing educators with the right tools and strategies, she’s empowering teachers to create more engaging, inclusive, and effective math experiences for their students.”
Danielle Johnson and Jeannine Hatch
K-5 Math Coaches
Marshfield Public Schools, MA
“We have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to have Becky provide Professional Development to both Special Education teachers and classroom teachers within the district on two occasions. Her expertise and easy way to relate to teachers and provide a way to problem solve is outstanding! Teachers have asked repeatedly for her to provide more training to them and have stated her training is the best they have ever had. She is so willing to design PD that meets our needs rather than a one size fits all. We look forward to her providing more PD in the near future.”
Sandra Donah, Ed.D.
Director of Student Support
Holyoke Public Schools, MA
“I’m finishing up this (Decoding Math) class and I wanted to say THANK YOU!!! I have been teaching for over 15 years and this is by far the most comprehensive, informative, and helpful course I have taken. There is so little information and support out there for teaching math to kids with disabilities and this class was so valuable. The videos were especially helpful.”
Lara Holman
Middle School Intervention Specialist
Upper Arlington Schools, Ohio
“Becky Lord has been a tremendous support and resource to the teachers in our district. Her presentations and knowledge about dyscalculia, the brain, and best practices in teaching mathematics are delivered in an engaging and hands on way. Teachers walk away not only wanting more but also able to implement newly learned strategies immediately.”
Janet Donovan and Kristen Parsons
Math Coaches
Gloucester Public Schools, MA
“I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your class on dyscalculia last night. Your insight was so enlightening. I used the dot cards and Cuisenaire rods with my students today. For the first time in 5 years of supporting these struggling math students, I felt like I had useful tools and strategies to use. Thank you so much!”
Julie Siegal
Special Education Teacher
Lowell Public Schools, MA
“I am learning an incredible amount through the Decoding Math recorded videos and they are making such a difference in my math instruction. I am SO excited about this course and your work. The live recordings breathe even more life into the content of modules. You have synthesized so many methodologies and made them teacher-friendly and practical. You have put a structure on it that, simply put, is working for my students and I.
I can’t tell you enough the difference I see in my students. The stress is gone and the learning is happening. In order to qualify for my school, students need to score at or below the first percentile. Dyscalculia is often riding shotgun with dyslexia. What is so amazing about your course is that it is teaching me how to meet students where they are. While most of my students demonstrate difficulty with numbers, there are some that don’t. Thanks to vertical acceleration and your practical modeling of each concept with different examples, I am also meeting those students’ needs. The information I am attaining is vital.
I will promote LORD Math all day!!! I am making mistakes but I am learning. What matters the most is that you have set up everything from the course notes to the video clips, modules, live classes and everything so well and have made it so PRACTICAL and TEACHER-FRIENDLY that I finally have a math North Star to follow. It is seriously making a difference for my students who struggle so much with number and number concepts. I have struggled for so long to effectively teach math, Becky. I am so happy to be here and learning this!”
Mary Hyland
Special Education Teacher
Dublin, Ireland
“I am very impressed by Mathemagical. I have already seen such an increase in my students’ overall number sense and fluency. It is wonderful to see Mathemagical put more simplistic, consistent routines in math for the students to build a strong foundation. Sometimes I feel like our typical math curriculum over-complicates key ideas, but Mathemagical is doing just the opposite. Mathemagical has worked well in my classroom in both whole-group and small-group settings. I also love that it allows for genuine creativity, led by both teachers and students, especially within centers. I am looking forward to continuing using the tools that Mathemagical offers throughout the rest of the school year. Thank you!
I have seen great success of Mathemagical specifically with my multilingual students, as well. Using Mathemagical, they are able to be leaders — showing off all they know about number sense. Mathemagical makes the concepts approachable for them, using visuals such as the dot cards and modeling with Cuisenaire rods. They are acquiring language through repeated, expected number routines and math talks. These ML learners are able to be leaders in our classroom, demonstrating their knowledge of number sense to their peers. It is so wonderful to see their confidence shine during math!”
Kristen Fallon
2nd Grade Teacher
Woburn Public Schools, MA
“I have to admit the thought of three hours of math learning did not thrill me. But I had to write and tell you that was very interesting! I really love these new and concrete ways of teaching math concepts. That was fascinating!! I would love to use them to help the students I work with. I enjoyed your presentation immensely and feel like this was a presentation that will actually help paras. Thank you, well done!”
Marion Cronin
Paraprofessional
Waltham Public Schools, MA
“I learned that I have so much more to learn about teaching math effectively. I especially liked learning about the different ways to assess students’ learning and about how to recognize signs of dyscalculia.”
“I learned a lot about how the brain works and how to teach students who are struggling more effectively. By incorporating strong visual supports such as Cuisenaire Rods and Woodin Dot patterns into activities, students can start to deepen their understanding of number and build a solid foundation of number sense.”
“I learned some great teaching tools to help students who struggle with math. Cuisenaire rods and dot cards are my new friends! Both are so valuable for teaching number sense.”
“This box isn’t big enough to hold a detailed account of all I learned! I’m so excited at how much I learned by taking Decoding Math! It really opened my eyes to new and more efficient ways of working with kids who have math learning disabilities and I’m really having fun planning out the upcoming school year.”
“I am definitely looking differently at my instruction of low functioning students. My goals will be more specific moving forward and I will include progress monitoring to track student growth and inform my instruction. I will continue to teach my students with a multi-sensory approach and will use the Cuisenaire Rods to build students’ understanding and confidence in math. I am more aware of how working memory and executive function impact how students can access and manipulate numbers/math.”