Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics - Intervention in the Elementary Grades - Educator’s Practice Guide - WWC 2021006

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

Educator’s Practice Guide WWC 2021006 describes interventions to assist students struggling with mathematics in elementary grades. It provides guidance grounded in research and organized into actionable recommendations, including systematic instruction, teaching clear mathematical language, using well-chosen representations, leveraging number lines, deliberate instruction on word problems, and regularly incorporating timed activities to build fluency. The guide also includes a glossary and appendices, and includes a public-domain citation standard.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages165

Reading Time6 h 56 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction to Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades

Recommendation 1: Systematic Instruction

Recommendation 2: Mathematical Language

Recommendation 3: Representations

Recommendation 4: Number Lines

Recommendation 5: Word Problems

Recommendation 6: Timed Activities

Glossary

Appendix A: Postscript from the Institute of Education Sciences

What Works Clearinghouse™ Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades Educator’s Practice Guide WWC 2021006 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION A publication of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) atIES Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades March 2021 PANEL Lynn S. Fuchs (Chair) Vanderbilt University Nicole Bucka Bridging Research, Implementation, & Data to Guide Educators in Rhode Island (Bridge-RI) Ben Clarke University of Oregon Barbara Dougherty Curriculum Research & Development Group, University of Hawai’i Nancy C. Jordan University of Delaware Karen S. Karp Johns Hopkins University John Woodward University of Puget Sound STAFF MadhaviJayanthi Russell Gersten Rebecca Newman-Gonchar Robin Schumacher Kelly Haymond Instructional Research Group Julia Lyskawa Betsy Keating Seth Morgan Mathematica PROJECT OFFICER Jonathan Jacobson Institute of Education Sciences WWC 2021006 U.S. Department of Education This report was prepared for the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, under the What Works Clearinghouse contract to Instructional Research Group (Contract 91990018A0006/91990018F0375) . DISCLAIMER The opinions and positions expressed in this practice guide are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions and positions ofthe Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S. Department of Education. This practice guide should be reviewed and applied according to the specific needs of the educators and education agency using it, and with full realization that it represents the judgments ofthe review panel regarding what constitutes sensible practice, based on the research that was available at the time of publication. This practice guide should be used as a tool to assist in decision making rather than as a “cookbook.” Any references within the document to specific education products are illustrative and do not imply endorsement of these products to the exclusion of other products that are not referenced. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Miguel A. Cardona Secretary INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES Mark Schneider Director NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION EVALUATION AND REGIONAL ASSISTANCE Matthew Soldner Commissioner MARCH 2021 This report is in the public domain. Although permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be as follows: Fuchs, L.S., Newman-Gonchar, R., Schumacher, R., Dougherty, B., Bucka, N., Karp, K.S., Woodward, J., Clarke, B., Jordan, N. C., Gersten, R., Jayanthi, M., Keating, B., and Morgan, S. (2021). Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades (WWC 2021006) . Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from [http://whatworks.ed.gov/](http://whatworks.ed.gov/.)[.](http://whatworks.ed.gov/.) This report is available on the IES website at [http://whatworks.ed.gov/](http://whatworks.ed.gov/.)[.](http://whatworks.ed.gov/.) ALTERNATE FORMATS On request, this publication can be made available in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print, or CD. For more information, contact the Alternate Format Center at (202) 260-0852 or (202) 260-0818. Table of Contents Contents Introduction to Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades ................................................................................................................1 Recommendation 1: Systematic Instruction..................................................................................... 5 Provide systematic instruction during intervention to develop student understanding of mathematical ideas.............................

FAQs

What does the guide focus on for students struggling with mathematics?

The guide focuses on intervention strategies for students who struggle with mathematics in elementary grades, aiming to improve understanding and application of mathematical ideas.

What teaching approach is emphasized in Recommendation 1?

Recommendation 1 emphasizes providing systematic instruction during intervention to develop students’ understanding of mathematical ideas.

Which recommendation helps students improve fluency in mathematics?

Recommendation 6 recommends regularly including timed activities as a way to build students’ fluency in mathematics.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia