CRA (concrete-representational-abstract)
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CRA is a teaching sequence that moves from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers and symbols, so students understand math before working abstractly.
Topic: Math instruction
In plain terms
In the concrete stage, students use objects like blocks or fraction tiles. In the representational stage, they draw pictures, tally marks or number lines. In the abstract stage, they use only numbers and symbols. Each stage is connected to the next, so students see why the procedure works. CRA is well supported for students with math difficulties.
How it shows up in an IEP
CRA is often part of specially designed instruction for math. Objectives can follow the stages, for example solving with manipulatives, then with drawings, then with numbers only.
Example
To learn fraction addition, a student combines fraction tiles, then shades fraction bars on paper, then adds 1/4 + 2/4 using numbers only, with 80% accuracy at each stage before moving on.
Related terms
- Place valuePlace value is the idea that a digit's value depends on its position in a number, such as ones, tens or hundreds.
- Number senseNumber sense is an intuitive understanding of numbers, their sizes, their relationships and how they change when combined.
- Schema-based instructionSchema-based instruction teaches students to recognize the underlying structure, or schema, of a word problem and use a matching diagram to solve it.
- Specially designed instruction (SDI)Specially designed instruction is teaching adapted in content, method or delivery to meet a student's disability-related needs.
- DyscalculiaDyscalculia is a specific learning disability in math that affects number sense, learning math facts and accurate, fluent calculation.
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