Tier 1 Interventions
Math intervention, writing intervention, neurobiology, and cognitive-based learning - Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer are sharing how to incorporate them into your classroom. Jonily is a secondary math teacher and instructional coach for math K-12. Cheri is an occupational therapist specializing in neurology-based treatment across the lifespan and a Strategy-based Interventionist. Jonily secretly calls Cheri her Lesson Plan Whisperer because Cheri is always in her head, reminding her of the foundations of development before academics begin.
They met in 2018 and have been talking ever since. Together, they have discovered the Miracle Math Classroom. This classroom embeds all math standards from Kindergarten to twelfth grade, plus neuro-based interventions that improve proficiency and boost student engagement. Both gifted and learning support students thrive using the interventions they share, plus all students in between. Using cognitive enhancing techniques strategically placed in the lesson plan, students learn more and enjoy school more, and fewer students get removed from critical instruction for Tier Three Interventions.
Jonily has discovered how to teach all Kindergarten through algebra math standards using twelve, that’s right, twelve Reference Tasks. They include the Pizza Problem, 120-Chart, Paper Folding, Making Rectangles, Quick Dots, Locker Problem, Jesse and Kay, Geoboard, Candy Problem, Paint Problem, Staircase, and the Function Machine.
Cheri uses Body-Brain Anchors to ignite the flame inside everyone’s brain for learning. Whether a person is five or 90, her strategy-based interventions will ignite that flame. These Brain-Body Anchors include the Handstand Flip, Interlaced Bilateral Integration, and the Body Sentence Alphabet.
Together, they connect the puzzle behind math instruction and instructional delivery alongside these cognitive-enhancing activities to maximize math education for all students.
Join us live on the third Saturday of the month, sans July, for the math behind the Reference Task. Every live event is approximately 2.5 contact hours. The first 30-ish minutes become this podcast. To hear the entire training, join our membership program.
Please note: we will not record on holiday weekends. Join our mailing list for updates on dates.
To join us live, register at Tier1interventions.com. The 2.5-hour sessions include the PowerPoint slides, additional audio files of Jonily teaching the Reference Task, resources from Cheri, and much more. A subscription to these 2.5-hour Workshops is $97/month or $947/year.
Membership includes:
*Approximately 27.5 hours of direct training per year
*Audio files of Jonily's Hear Me Teach segments - complete
*PowerPoint Slides to grab and use in your Magic Math Classroom
*Resources from Jonily and Cheri for you and your students
*A copy of Math DYSconnected when released.
Or, you can listen to the first segment on your favorite podcast app for free; no membership is required. No matter how you listen, you will come away with golden nuggets that will transform your classroom.
Reach out to Jonily: [email protected]
Reach out to Cheri: [email protected]
Tier1Interventions.com
- Update frequency
- every 10 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 56
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Why Learning Doesn’t Stick (and How Brian Proved It Wrong)
Brian’s story isn’t just about one student—it’s about every student who has ever struggled to learn math. In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, discover how teaching the brain’s way transforms lea…
Mastery Math Method That Makes Learning Stick
Discover how Tier 1 math interventions and the Mastery Math Method help students remember lessons — and even break past the limits of the bell curve! In this masterclass clip, Cheri Dotterer (OT, aut…
We're Teaching Subtraction Wrong - Try this instead!
Are we teaching subtraction all wrong? In this episode of the Tier 1 Interventions Podcast, Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer break down Math Rules That Never Expire — Subtraction is Distance.
You’ll…
The Division Rule that EVERY Teacher Misses
💡 Every Student Deserves to Understand Division
Discover how story, movement, and strategy come together to make division finally click, even for students with IEPs. This Tier 1 Interventions episode …
Teach math that actually sticks
Step inside a vibrant kindergarten classroom where math transforms from confusion to clarity. In this immersive Tier 1 Interventions episode, we witness the power of silly songs, skip counting, and h…
This Paper Game Teaches Quadratics—Without Students Knowing!
In this hands-on episode, recorded live at our June Tier 1 Interventions event, Jonily shares a robust and adaptable math strategy using nothing more than a piece of paper and red and white counters.…
Why Number Sense Unlocks Everything
In this electrifying episode recorded live at our June event, Jonily Zupancic dives deep into the misunderstood world of the “science of math.” Discover the powerful contrast between reading and math…
Stop Teaching Multiplication the Old Way—Try This Strategy
“3 Math Rules That Never Expire” series, Jonily Zupancic unpacks the timeless power of “Multiplication is Rectangle.” Discover how this one concept—taught with visual models, grid paper, and even sci…
What If Math and Writing Struggles Are Actually the Same Problem?
What happens when an occupational therapist and a math coach collide? In this segment, Cheri Dotterer introduces her long-time collaborator, Jonily Zupancic, a math coach and former teacher who bring…
Why Some Kids Can Read but Still Can’t Write
In this powerful kickoff to the Math DysConnected Week, occupational therapist and learning interventionist Cheri Dotterer shares the deeply personal and professional journey that led her to become a…
It’s NOT a 5x5! Why Grid Paper Trips Kids Up
Is your student really drawing a 5x5 square—or just counting boxes?
In this episode of the Tier 1 Interventions Workshop, we take a deep dive into grid paper misconceptions and why so many students—ev…
Why Straight Lines Aren’t Always Straightforward: S2 E30
What if your students could see math differently—literally?
In this powerful chunk of our Tier 1 Interventions Geoboard Workshop, we dive deep into the concept of diagonals—how a simple shift from hor…
The Geo Board Hack That Fixed Handwriting AND Math Anxiety! S2 E29
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, we delve into how a simple tool—the geo board—can yield surprising results for students who struggle with note-taking, handwriting, or traditional seated lear…
The Secret to Better Focus, Shape Sense, and Math Fluency
What do vestibular reflexes, math standards, and rubber bands have in common? In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri and Jonily unpack the unexpected power of the Geo Board. This tool blends …
Rethinking Math Education Part 4: S2 E27
Part 4 of 4
In this episode, Cheri and Jonily discuss breaking down the essential concepts in mathematics that every student should master, the power of reference tasks, and strategies to individualiz…
Rethinking Math Education Part 3: S2 E26
Part 3 of 4
In this episode, Cheri and Jonily discuss breaking down the essential concepts in mathematics that every student should master, the power of reference tasks, and strategies to individualiz…
Rethinking Math Education Part 2: S2 E25
Part 2 of 4
In this episode, Cheri and Jonily discuss breaking down the essential concepts in mathematics that every student should master, the power of reference tasks, and strategies to individualiz…
Rethinking Math Education part 1: S2 E24
In this episode, Cheri and Jonily discuss breaking down the essential concepts in mathematics that every student should master, the power of reference tasks, and strategies to individualize learning …
Why Standard Teaching Fails Our Students - Part 4
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri Dotterer and co-host Jonily dive deep into the Candy Problem—a discussion that exposes the failures of traditional math instruction. Kirk and other pass…
Why Standard Teaching Fails Our Students - Part 3
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri Dotterer and co-host Jonily dive deep into the Candy Problem—a discussion that exposes the failures of traditional math instruction. Kirk and other pass…