Using the CRA-I Strategy to Develop Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Quadratic Expressions

The Concrete-Representational-Abstract Integration (CRA-I) Strategy is a promising practice for teaching algebra concepts and skills to students with disabilities. The CRA-I Strategy involves the simultaneous presentation of the algebra content using concrete manipulatives, sketches of the concrete manipulatives, and abstract notation, which provides a gradual transition to abstract notation only. This article describes how the CRA-I Strategy can be used to teach students to multiply linear expressions and to factor quadratic expressions. Sample lessons and pictorial representations of the concrete manipulatives are provided.