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 Standard Teaching Fails Our Students - Part 2
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 1
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…
Hidden Math Pattern That Makes Subtraction Easy For Everyone: S2 E19
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Jonily Zupancic continues the conversation on Three Math Rules That Never Expire, focusing on Rule #2: Subtraction is Distance. Many students struggle with su…
The Power of Indirect Instruction in Mathematics: S2 E18
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, hosts Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic delve into the concept of the Staircase Problem, a reference task designed to enhance number sense through engagement…
Differentiated Instruction in the Regular Ed Classroom: S2 E17
The Staircase Problem isn't just a math exercise—it’s a pathway to deep conceptual learning, executive function growth, and full classroom inclusion. Whether you're a math teacher, occupational thera…
Cognitve Science Meets Counting: S2 E16
Are your students struggling to stay engaged in math class? Do you want to help them build lasting confidence and skills? The Tier 1 Interventions Podcast is here to guide you!
This week, Cheri Dotter…
BLOW UP Math Education with Cognitive Science: S2 E15
Expose all Math Standards in 15 days. 😯
Master them in 80 days! 😲
Cognitive Science of Mathematics will innovate your classroom.
🖨️ Part 2 of Teach Math that Sticks” Free Download https://disabilitylab…
How Cognitive Science Transforms Math Education: S2 E14
Explore this transformative professional development on the Cognitive Science of Mathematics. Download the “Teach Math That Sticks” handout from this event to learn more about this innovative model o…
Achieve Math Success: S2 E13
Dive into Part 2 of the Jesse & Kay series, where Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic explore how visuals, prompts, and strategic questions transform counting lessons into powerful learning experience…
Why Your Math Skills Aren't Improving and How to Fix it: S2 E12
Discover powerful insights in this episode of Tier 1 Interventions as we explore how visuals and counting can unlock student focus and engagement. Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic break down the Je…
Visual strategies for teachers and occupational therapists: S2 E11
Hey teachers and occupational therapists: Watch Jonily and Cheri explore deep mathematical connections in a fun and engaging way. Don't miss out on this educational and entertaining content! Leverage…
Transform your classroom in 2025: S2 E10
In this Tier 1 Interventions podcast episode, Cheri shares the concept of "flow" as a transformative approach to classroom learning. By unpacking the neuroscience of brain waves, the importance of sl…
3 concepts you need to succeed in calculus: S2 E9
What are the five basic concepts that need to be taught in mathematics? Check out this episode of Tier 1 Interventions to discover how Jonily expanded her research project to discover what the Colleg…
How emotions shape learning: S2 E8
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic explore the impact of emotions on student learning, especially in the math classroom. They dive into the concept of respons…
Teaching Additve Inverse to Promote Retention: S2 E7
In this episode of "Tier 1 Interventions," Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic explore innovative strategies for teaching math concepts, focusing on the additive inverse and reference tasks. They disc…
Transforming Math Instruction Using a SIMPLE Counting Problem: S2 E6
Responsive Teaching Segment 3
In this Tier 1 Interventions podcast episode, Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer dive into the transformative power of the Locker Problem for math instruction. They discu…
Identifying hidden struggles in the classroom: S2 E5
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, hosts Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer explore the fascinating world of cognitive neuroscience and its implications for education. Together, they explore ho…
Boost School Achievement with POWERFUL Visuals: S2 E4
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, we explore pattern recognition and its critical role in enhancing student learning. This is part two of a three-part series based on Tier 1 Interventions Wor…
Discover the BEST Way to Teach for Maximum Pattern Recognition Results Today: S2 E3
In this episode, co-hosts Cheri Dotterer and Jonily Zupancic dive into the critical role of pattern recognition in student learning. Learn how responsive teaching can bridge the gap for students with…
Simplify Math, Transform Achievement: S2 E2
In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Jonily Zupancic dive into math instruction techniques that challenge traditional learning methods. Jonily, a math coach and consultant, shares her groundbreak…