Why multisensory teaching isn’t a Tier 2 or Tier 3 strategy, it’s a Tier 1 mindset shift that changes everything.
If you’ve ever watched a student shut down at the mention of division, you’re not alone. For many learners, especially those with IEPs or math anxiety, division feels like a wall they can’t climb.
But what if it’s not the student?
What if it’s how we introduce the concept?
In this week’s Tier 1 Interventions episode, Jonily Zupancic completes her powerful demonstration of division using the Locker Problem. This story-based, movement-infused model flips the script on traditional math instruction.
We explore:
- Why the brain craves patterns and how to embed them into your teaching
- How story and rhythm build memory pathways faster than worksheets ever will
- The neuroscience behind body-based learning (yes, math has a sensory system!)
- What Tier 1 should really look like across general and special education
From kindergarten classrooms to high school interventions, these strategies are effective because they are grounded in how the brain learns, not in isolated remediation.
💡 Teacher Takeaway:
If students can’t visualize math, they can’t master it. Let them move. Let them build. Let them play. That’s not just fun, it’s Tier 1 excellence.
🎯 Want to learn how to apply this across your school?
Join our free masterclass for school leaders and intervention teams:
👉 Register Here
🎧 Listen/Watch to the Episode:
Spotify | Apple | YouTube
👩🏫 About Tier 1 Interventions:
Tier 1 Interventions is a podcast co-hosted by Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic. We believe Tier 1 isn’t a curriculum—it’s a mindset shift. Our mission is to equip educators, therapists, and interventionists with brain-based strategies that support every learner from the start.