Mathematics Interventions

This page is geared toward providing interventions for mathematics skills. These interventions are organized according to grade level.   

Click on the appropriate grade level to find interventions in mathematics skills for children across the grade levels. 

Please keep in mind that you might consider interventions at lower grade levels for lower functioning individuals.

Please submit your ideas by clicking on the "Submit Your Ideas" icon on the left. 

Submitted by: Stephanie Nesselhuf

Title of Intervention: Are these the same? (Piagetian conservation task)
Modified from a previous written intervention

Category: Mathematics (cognitive understanding)

Age or grade: Preschool or Kindergarten

Materials: 14 of the same coins
2 rulers or sticks of the same size
2 glasses of different sizes, with the same amount of water in each

Intervention: Piaget’s conservation problem emphasizes the concept that certain physical characteristics of a certain object remain the same, even if their outward appearance has a change. The goal is to have the child see the same 7 coins lined up in the same way, then change one set of them around to have their appearance look different, however, keep the same set of 7 coins. Then see if the child is able to comprehend that it is the same number of coins, just looking different. The same would go for the 2 rulers or sticks and the liquid container.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference: Berk, Laura E., (1996) Infants, Children and Adolescents, Second Edition. Needham Heights, MA: A Simon & Schuster Company.

Submitted by: Stephanie Nesselhuf

Title of Intervention: Are these the same? (Piagetian conservation task)
Modified from a previous written intervention

Category: Mathematics (cognitive understanding)

Age or grade: Preschool or Kindergarten

Materials: 14 of the same coins
2 rulers or sticks of the same size
2 glasses of different sizes, with the same amount of water in each

Intervention: Piaget’s conservation problem emphasizes the concept that certain physical characteristics of a certain object remain the same, even if their outward appearance has a change. The goal is to have the child see the same 7 coins lined up in the same way, then change one set of them around to have their appearance look different, however, keep the same set of 7 coins. Then see if the child is able to comprehend that it is the same number of coins, just looking different. The same would go for the 2 rulers or sticks and the liquid container.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference: Berk, Laura E., (1996) Infants, Children and Adolescents, Second Edition. Needham Heights, MA: A Simon & Schuster Company.

Submitted by: Stephanie 

Title of Intervention: Number Search 

Materials: A place from which to observe, paper, and a pencil 

Intervention: Create a chart that lists the numbers from 1-50.  Write down each number as family members locate tht number on a car, a sign, a building, etc.  Write down words that have numbers in them, such as "one-stop shopping," "two-day service," or "Highway 20."  This is a great challenge for family members of all ages, because even young children can learn to recognize numbers. 

Link Address: www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/OnTheGo.html

Submitted by: Joel Sonnichsen

Title of Intervention: “Cover-Copy-Compare”

Category: Math Skills

Grade: May use with any age group. Activity is dependent on current curriculum

Materials: Teacher prepared worksheets with computation problems with answers on the left side of the sheet. Completed computation problems appear on the right side of the page, unsolved.

Intervention: When first introducing Cover-Copy-Compare worksheets to the student, the teacher gives the student an index card. Student is then directed to look at each correct computation on the left side of the page. Then the student is instructed to cover the correct model on the left side of the page with an index card and to copy the problem and compute the correct answer in the space on the right side of the sheet. The student then uncovers the correct answer on the left and checks his or her own work. If the use of an index card proves distracting you may simply fold the worksheet in half length-wise so that the answers appear on one side of the folded worksheet and the answer blanks appear on the other side.

An advantage of this intervention is the ability of the child to work independently and correct his or her work. It’s important that the student does not just copy the problems. He or she must study the completed computation, then work to solve the problem autonomously. If the child needs to be supervised, the use of a peer may tutor may be helpful.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference: www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/ccc.shtml

Submitted by: Stephanie 

Title of Intervention: Patterns and Functions 

Materials: Index cards and marker or a set of pattern blocks 

Intervention: Make a set of cards with different shapes, such as a circle, square, triangle, and rectangle, or use a set of pattern blocks.  Place one shape after another in a line to make a repeating pattern.  Ask the child to tell you the next shape in your pattern, then the next.  You can also have the child predict the tenth shape in the pattern and so on. 

Reference: Holly, K.A., (1997)  Algebraic thinking focus issue: math by the month.  Teaching Children Mathematics (312).

Submitted by: Leah 

Age or Grade: Kindergarten-Grade 2 

Title of Intervention: More or Less 

Materials: Coin, 2 decks of cards, Scratch paper to keep score 

Intervention: This game encourages number sense and helps children learn about the relationships of numbers and about adding and subtracting.  By counting the shapes on the cards and looking at the printed numbers on the card, they can learn to relate the number of objects to the numeral. 
First flip a coin to tell if the winner of this game will be the person with "more"(a greater value card) or "less"(a smaller value card).  Remove all face cards and divide the reamining cards in the stack between the two players.  Place the cards face down.  Each player turns over one card and compares:Is mine more or less? How many more? How many less? 

Link Address: www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/Home.html 

Link Description: Helping Your Child Learn Math-Math in the Home

Submitted by: Stephanie 

Title of Intervention: How Many Raccoons Got Their Feet Wet? 

Materials: Blocks, paper, and pencil 

Intervention: First present this problem for students to solve: "Four raccoons went down to the lake for a drink. Two got their front feet wet.  One got its back feet wet. How many dry feet were there?"  Divide the class into pairs and give the following directions: "First, tell the problem to each other to be sure you both understand it. Then, before writing anything, talk about what you'll write and how you'll share the work."  Talk to the students so they understand what they put on the paper should help explain their thinking.  It could be a drawing, numbers, or they could use blocks. After the students have put their answer on the paper, they should decided how they will share their paper to the class. 

Reference: Burns, M. (1998).  Math in action.  Instructor (86).

Name: Stephanie 

Age or Grade: Kindergarten-Grade 2 

Title of Intervention: Number, please.... 

Materials: Paper, scissors, and markers 

Intervention: Have students get into a group with some of their classmates.  Have students write the telephone numbers of all the group members. Cut the numbers apart so that each digit is on a separate piece of paper  Rearrange the digits and compare your arrangement with the arrangements of the others in your group.  How did you arrange your digits? Did you start with the first digit? Did you sse the last digit? Can you tell the others in your group how their digits are arranged? What other arrangements can you make? 

Reference: Lewis, C & Lewis, T. (1996). Math by the month: Getting acquainted. Teaching Children Mathematics (24). 

Submitted by: Stephanie 

Category: Math 

Age or Grade: Kindergarten-Grade 2 

Title of Intervention: More or Less 

Materials: Coin, 2 decks of cards, and scratch paper to keep score 

Intervention: Flip a coin to tell if the winner of this game will be the person with "more" (a greater value card) or "less" (a smaller value card). Remove all face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) and divide the remaining cards in the stack between the two players. Place the cards face down. Each player turns over one card and compares: Is mine more or less? How many more? How many less? This game for young children encourages number sense and helps them learn about the relationships of numbers (more or less than) and about adding and subtracting. By counting the shapes on the cards and looking at the printed numbers on the card, they can learn to relate the number of objects to the numeral. 

Link Address: www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/Mathland.html

Submitted by: Leah 
Category: Math 
Age or Grade: Kindergarten-Grade 2 

Title of Intervention: Shopping 

Materials: Clean trash (empty soup cans, cereal boxes, vegetable cans, etc.) and stickers to use as price tags on items or index cards with prices to label the shelf the item is on. 

Intervention: Each child is given a set amount of change.  The particular coins each is given is determined by which coins have already been introduced to them and which ones they have prior experience counting.  Beginners start with pennies only.  Each child is given a set amount of work in any subject that they need extra practice on.  How many problems each child must complete before visiting the store is determined on an individual basis by the difficulty of the work for each child and how long it will take them to complete it.  As the student completes the assigned number of probelms, they bring the work and their change to the "store" where they count their money and decide what to buy while the teacher corrects the problems.  The teacher or a student helper is then the store clerk and takes the change from the student.  The student must tell the clerk how much change they are due, if any.  The student then returns to their seat and completes another set of problems before returning to the store. 

Reference: Pembroke, C. J., (1994). Lesson Plan #:AELP-APM0009 

Link Description: Big Sky Telegraph 

Submitted by: Leah 

Title of Intervention: Patterns and Functions 

Materials: dominoes 
Intervention: Examine the dots (also called pips) on a domino.  Is the number of dots on one side greater than the number on the other side? Are they the same?  Are they both even or both odd?  Is one number even and the other odd?  Look for patterns formed by the dots on more than one domino.  Work with a partner to arrange dominoes in a row in a way that creates a pattern.  Can another group discover your pattern? 

Reference: Holly, K. A., (1997).  Algebraic thinking focus issue: Math by the month.  Teaching Children Mathematics (312).

Submitted by: Joel Sonnichsen

Title of Intervention: “Cover-Copy-Compare”

Category: Math Skills

Grade: May use with any age group. Activity is dependent on current curriculum

Materials: Teacher prepared worksheets with computation problems with answers on the left side of the sheet. Completed computation problems appear on the right side of the page, unsolved.

Intervention: When first introducing Cover-Copy-Compare worksheets to the student, the teacher gives the student an index card. Student is then directed to look at each correct computation on the left side of the page. Then the student is instructed to cover the correct model on the left side of the page with an index card and to copy the problem and compute the correct answer in the space on the right side of the sheet. The student then uncovers the correct answer on the left and checks his or her own work. If the use of an index card proves distracting you may simply fold the worksheet in half length-wise so that the answers appear on one side of the folded worksheet and the answer blanks appear on the other side.

An advantage of this intervention is the ability of the child to work independently and correct his or her work. It’s important that the student does not just copy the problems. He or she must study the completed computation, then work to solve the problem autonomously. If the child needs to be supervised, the use of a peer may tutor may be helpful.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference: www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/ccc.shtml

SUBMITTED BY: Melissa K. Wurth

CATEGORY: Math

AGE: 7 – 11 years old

MATERIALS: 2 identical sized containers (e.g., beakers A & B, which are short and wide) and 1 different sized container (e.g., beaker C, which is taller & thinner); liquid (e.g., water); measuring cup

INTERVENTION: Step 1: Two identical beakers (beakers A & B), each filled with the same amount of liquid, are presented to the students. Step 2: Then the teacher pours the liquid from beaker B into beaker C. Step 3: The students are asked if these beakers (A and C) have the same amount of liquid. Step 4: Discuss the students’ answers and thoughts.

REFERENCE: Santrock, J.W. (1994). Child development. Madison, WI: Brown & Benchmark Publishers.

Submitted by: Leah 

Title of Intervention: Money Match 

Materials: a die to roll, 10 of each coin (penny, nickel, dime), 6 quarters 

Intervention: This game helps children count change.  Lots of repetition will make it even more effective.  For young players (5-and 6-year-olds), use only 2 different coins (pennies and nickels or nickels and dimes).  Older children can use all coins.  Explain that the object of the game is to be the first player to earn a set amount (10 or 20 cents is a good amount).  The first player rolls the die and gets the number of pennies shown on the die.  Players take turns rolling the die to collect additional coins.  As each player accumulates 5 pennies or more, the 5 pennies are traded for a nickel. The first player to reach the set amount wins.  Add the quarter to the game when the children are ready.  Counting money, which involves counting by 1's , 5's, 10's and 25's is a challenging skill and usually does not come easily to children until about the third grade. 

Link Address: www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/Home.html

Submitted by: Jayne 

Category: Math 

Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5 

Title of Intervention: Promoting positive attitutes toward math 

Materials: none 

Intervention: Involve students in setting challenging but attainable instructional goals. Goal setting has a powerful influence on student involvement and effort. 
Ensure success by building on prior skills and using task analysis to simplify the instructional sequence of a math skill or concept. Use charts to give students feedback on how well they are doing.  Use word problems that are part of a student's daily life. Reinforce students for effort on math work and stress that errors are learning opportunites. 

Reference: Mercer, C.D., Mercer, A.R., Teaching Students with Leaarning Problems, 5th edition. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1998. p476. 

Submitted by: Karla 

Title of Intervention: Math Word Problem Strategies 

Intervention: 1.  Make certain the student's inability to read is not the cause of his/her difficulty. 
Intervention 2.  Teach the student to look for "key words" that will indicate the math operation.  Make or provide a list of these key words. 
Intervention 3.  Before introdicing complete word problems, present the student with word pharses to be translated into numbers( six less than 10 equals ten= 10-6). 
Intervention 4.  Provide the student with a checklist to follow in solving math story problems. 
Intervention 5. Make the situation interesting to the student.  Have the student make up story problems. 

Reference: Mc Carney, The Teacher's Resource Guide, Hawthorne

Submitted by: Eva
 
Category: Math 

Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5 

Title of Intervention: Lengthy Animals 

Intervention: Have students check library resources to determine the greatest lengths obtained by various species of animals.  Provide appropriate measurement instruments and challenge students to devise unique ways to visually represent the lengths.  For example, the longest ant could be represented by a 1-inch long stick, and the longest whale by a 100-foot long rope.  The school hallway would probably be a good place to display the measurements. 

Reference: Wheller, R.  (1997).  Creative Resources for Elementary Classrooms and School-age Programs.  Delmar Publishers.

Submitted by: Eva
 
Category: Math 

Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5 

Title of Intervention: Animal Arithmetic 

Intervention: Create animal math problems for students to solve, such as the following:  1. After students are familiar with the pphysical characteristics of certain animals, give them problems like this one:  Add the legs of five insects, two spiders, and three horses.  Divide by the shells of one clam.  Subtract the tentacles of one octopus.  (Answer:  6+6+6+6+6+8+4+4+4=58/2=29-8=21). 

2. Fred has two cats.  Each cat eats a can of food each day.  How many cans of cat food will they eat in a week? 

3. Mary has five kittens.  Three are grey.  The others are black.  How many are black? 

4. Arrange cut-outs of animals.  Ask students to sort and count the animals. 

Reference: Wheeler, R.  (1997).  Creative Resources for Elementary Classrooms and School-age Programs.  Delmar Publishers.

Submitted by: Eva 

Category: Math 

Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5 

Title of Intervention: Pet Costs 

Intervention: Have each student research the cost of caring for a particular kind of pet, such as a dog, cat, horse, canary, turtle, or fish.  Some of the costs students will need to consider include:  food (cost per day); opportunity cost (amount of time per day that must be spent on care of pet); special equipment; license fees; veterinarian expenses; and special handling needs. 

Reference: Wheeler, R.  (1997).  Creative Resources for Elementary Classrooms and School-age Programs.  Delmar Publishers.

Submitted by: Eva Hageman 
Category: Math 
Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5 

Title of Intervention: Predicting Amounts 

Materials: Assorted food items to be counted 

Intervention: First, have students predict the number of pieces contained in small packages of the foods listed below.  Then, let students open the packages and count the pieces inside.  How close were their predictions to the actual numbers?  Make a chart with a column for the food packages to be identified, a column for the number predicted, and one for the actual number counted.  Examples of things to be counted are:  M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, pretzels, peeled baby carrots, etc. 

Reference: Wheeler, R.  (1997).  Creative Resources for Elementary Classrooms and School-age Programs.  Delmar Publishers. 

Submitted by: Dana

Category: Math

Age or Grade: Grade 6-Grade 8

Title of Intervention: Has difficulty solving math word problems

Intervention: Intervention #1 - The teacher may ask the student to identify the primary question that must be answered to solve a given word problem.  The teacher should continue this activity using more difficult word problems containing two or more questions, making sure the student understands the questions are often implied rather than directly asked.

Intervention #2 - The teacher can have the student make up word problems.  Direct the student to write problems involving specific operations.  Other students in the classroom should be required to solve these problems.  The student can also provide answers to his/her own problems. 

Intervention #3 - The teacher can speak with the student to explain: (a) what the student is doing wrong (e.g., using the wrong operation, failing to read the problem carefully, etc.) and (b) what the student should be doing (e.g., using the appropriate operation, reading the problem carefully, etc.). 

Reference: Reference: McCarney, S.B., Cummins Wunderlich, K., Bauer,A, (1994). The Teacher's Resource Guide: Colimbia, MO. 

Submitted by: Dana

Category: Math

Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5

Title of Intervention: Encourage Collaborative Problem Solving

Materials: math puzzles

Intervention: Research indicates that student achievement rises in classroom environments in which students engage in collaborative problem-solving activities.  Successful collaborative problem solving should be a crucial goal of mathematics instruction, because collaboration is the most prevalent problem-solving mode in the world of work for which students are preparing.

Intervention #1 - Collaborative problem solving can take the form of long-term projects or shorter activities that can be completed in a single class period or less.  Students enjoy puzzles in which each person in a group of four is given a different clue and the clues must be combined to reach the solution.  Both number sense and mental math skills are developed when students are challenged to find a number which is even, is a multiple of three, has an integral square root, and has two digits.

Reference: Cole, R.W, (1995). Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners.  Alexandria, Va. ASCD

Submitted by: Leah 

Category: Math 

Age or Grade: Grade 3-Grade 5 

Title of Intervention: Tic Tac Math 

Materials: Chalkboard, Chalk, Daily lesson, Questions and answers from lesson, Class list 

Intervention: 1. Do Math Lesson 
2. Divide class into two groups. 
3. Draw a tic tac toe grid on the board. 
4. Write an X on the right side of the board, and an O on the left side of the board as each groups logo. 
5. Have one student from each group approach the board. 
6. Teacher calls out a question having to do with the lesson. 
7. Students write the correct answer as quickly as possible. 
8. The teacher asks the class who is correct and why. 
9. The first student with the first correct answer writes their group logo on the tic tac toe grid. 
10. The first team to get a straight line of 3 is the winning team. 
11. During the game students are told the real winning team is the one who gave the most positive reinforcement.  Competition should not be emphasized. 
12. End with a discussion on the importance of positive speech between peers. 
13. During the game, the teacher will put a tally mark by students name for each positive comment.  Each student should com up with 5.  Reminders throughout the game may be necessary. 

Reference: Stensland, T. (1996). Lesson Plan #: AELP-ATH0021 

Link Description: Big Sky Telegraph 

Submitted by: Joel Sonnichsen

Title of Intervention: “Cover-Copy-Compare”

Category: Math Skills

Grade: May use with any age group. Activity is dependent on current curriculum

Materials: Teacher prepared worksheets with computation problems with answers on the left side of the sheet. Completed computation problems appear on the right side of the page, unsolved.

Intervention: When first introducing Cover-Copy-Compare worksheets to the student, the teacher gives the student an index card. Student is then directed to look at each correct computation on the left side of the page. Then the student is instructed to cover the correct model on the left side of the page with an index card and to copy the problem and compute the correct answer in the space on the right side of the sheet. The student then uncovers the correct answer on the left and checks his or her own work. If the use of an index card proves distracting you may simply fold the worksheet in half length-wise so that the answers appear on one side of the folded worksheet and the answer blanks appear on the other side.

An advantage of this intervention is the ability of the child to work independently and correct his or her work. It’s important that the student does not just copy the problems. He or she must study the completed computation, then work to solve the problem autonomously. If the child needs to be supervised, the use of a peer may tutor may be helpful.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference: www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/ccc.shtml

Submitted By: Sharon Nelson

Category: Mathematics

Grade: Anyone experiencing difficulty with algebraic concepts

Materials: A prop that looks like a scale, a mat with a drawing of a
scale on it, pawns, and numbered cubes.

Intervention:

Set up your workspace so that the mat is directly in front of the child and the scale is placed between you and the child. Both of you should have several pawns and several cubes with which to set up equations.

First, use the scale to explain the concept of equality to the child. Make sure that they understand that both sides of the scale must be equal in order to have a balance. Next, put a pawn on one side of the scale and one of the numbered cubes on the other side of the scale. Ask the child to tell you what number is facing up on the cube. Then ask them what the pawn must equal in order for the scale to be balanced. The child should give you the same number as that which is facing up on the cube. Repeat this exercise at least once, changing the number on the cube.

To introduce the concept of variables, tell the child that the pawn will be referred to as X. Explain that, within an equation, X must always have the same value. Next, place two pawns on one side of the scale and place a cube with the 8 facing up on the other side. Ask the child to figure out what X must equal for the scale to be balanced. Repeat this step until the child fully understands this concept.

The next step is to write out an equation for the child and ask them to solve it using their mat, pawns, and cubes. For example, you might use the problem 2x =x + 3. Guide the child in setting up the pawns and cubes on their mat. They will place two pawns on one side of the scale and one pawn with a cube that has the 3 face up on the other side. Next, have the child guess the value of X. Then help them check their answer by plugging the given value into the equation.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference:
Hands-On Equations. Borenson and Associates, PO Box 3328,
Allentown, PA 18106.
Website: www.Borenson.com

Submitted by: Joel Sonnichsen

Title of Intervention: “Cover-Copy-Compare”

Category: Math Skills

Grade: May use with any age group. Activity is dependent on current curriculum

Materials: Teacher prepared worksheets with computation problems with answers on the left side of the sheet. Completed computation problems appear on the right side of the page, unsolved.

Intervention: When first introducing Cover-Copy-Compare worksheets to the student, the teacher gives the student an index card. Student is then directed to look at each correct computation on the left side of the page. Then the student is instructed to cover the correct model on the left side of the page with an index card and to copy the problem and compute the correct answer in the space on the right side of the sheet. The student then uncovers the correct answer on the left and checks his or her own work. If the use of an index card proves distracting you may simply fold the worksheet in half length-wise so that the answers appear on one side of the folded worksheet and the answer blanks appear on the other side.

An advantage of this intervention is the ability of the child to work independently and correct his or her work. It’s important that the student does not just copy the problems. He or she must study the completed computation, then work to solve the problem autonomously. If the child needs to be supervised, the use of a peer may tutor may be helpful.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference: www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/ccc.shtml

Submitted By: Sharon Nelson

Category: Mathematics

Grade: Anyone experiencing difficulty with algebraic concepts

Materials: A prop that looks like a scale, a mat with a drawing of a
scale on it, pawns, and numbered cubes.

Intervention:

Set up your workspace so that the mat is directly in front of the child and the scale is placed between you and the child. Both of you should have several pawns and several cubes with which to set up equations.

First, use the scale to explain the concept of equality to the child. Make sure that they understand that both sides of the scale must be equal in order to have a balance. Next, put a pawn on one side of the scale and one of the numbered cubes on the other side of the scale. Ask the child to tell you what number is facing up on the cube. Then ask them what the pawn must equal in order for the scale to be balanced. The child should give you the same number as that which is facing up on the cube. Repeat this exercise at least once, changing the number on the cube.

To introduce the concept of variables, tell the child that the pawn will be referred to as X. Explain that, within an equation, X must always have the same value. Next, place two pawns on one side of the scale and place a cube with the 8 facing up on the other side. Ask the child to figure out what X must equal for the scale to be balanced. Repeat this step until the child fully understands this concept.

The next step is to write out an equation for the child and ask them to solve it using their mat, pawns, and cubes. For example, you might use the problem 2x =x + 3. Guide the child in setting up the pawns and cubes on their mat. They will place two pawns on one side of the scale and one pawn with a cube that has the 3 face up on the other side. Next, have the child guess the value of X. Then help them check their answer by plugging the given value into the equation.

Video Clip: Click on Camera Icon!

Reference:
Hands-On Equations. Borenson and Associates, PO Box 3328,
Allentown, PA 18106.
Website: www.Borenson.com

Title of Intervention: Use real-world problem solving activities 
 -Teacher link mathematics and the real world through a wide range of problem solving activities. The use of real world problems in classrooms helps students come to value mathematics as a useful tool that can be applied 
 to out of school activities.  For example, projects requiring the collection and analysis of data relevant to a genuine problem can lead to changes 
 in the students' school or community. Younger children can do surveys of food preferences and share them with the cafeteria manager; older students might analyze the results of community recycling efforts. The teacher can also ask students to write problems involving their classmates or community members based on current topics of study such as multiplication, measurement, or square roots. 
 (Austin, 1991) 

Title of Intervention: Integrate Math With Other Content Areas 
 Teachers can integrate math with other content areas in a meaningful way. 
 Students who can link math to other subject fields are able to apply previously acquired information to new situations. 
 Teachers have many opportunities to integreate math with other areas of the curriculum and enhance learning. 
 For example, students cold be asked to analyze measuremntss collected during a science experiment or to accumulate 
 data on a presidential candidates success in parts of the country as indicated by the polls. Another example that shows 
 how important mathematics is and how it's integrated in all aspects of a students life is to challenge the students to go through their school day WITHOUT using mathematics anywhere except in math class can open there eyes to the vital connections among math and other subjects. 
 (Beyth-Maron and Dekel, 1983) 

Title of Intervention: Use Technology 
 Teachers can provide students with opportunities to use technology. 
 Technology can be used as a tool for problem solving. Calculators, spreadsheets, and graphing are used to engage students in 
 solving problems that can be approached usiing many different strategies.The use of geometry-based computer software to explore 
 the effects of maximizing the area of a quadrilateral gives students insights that can be difficult to see on paper. The trial and error problem solving is easily applied when a student can quickly consider various options. Computers can also make drill and practice of skills more interesting and can motivate students to continue practice-and eventually reach higher levels of achievement. 
 (Fey, 1992) 

Title of Intervention:   Encourage Oral and Written Expresson 
Teachers facilitate math communication through oral and written expression 
Sharing mathematical thinkin is an essential commponent of the classroom environment. Students should be encouraged to explain their thinking to express their thinking to their peers, and to share their ideas.  This process of sharing helps young people organize their thoughts and their solution strategies.  It also helps them build a rationale for justifying strategies they have chosen. 
 For example, students can be asked to keep journals in their math classes. They write in their journals daily and report the results of their math investigations and problem solving episodes for the day. Students could also be asked to write a short paragraph summarizing new insights and areas of difficulty at the end of a homework assignment can help focus homework review sessions. Students can be given one minute at the beginning class to write a summary of the previous day's lesson. 
 (Borasi and Rose, 1989) 
 
References: 
Clements, M. A., & G. Del Campa, (1989).“Linking verbal knowledge, visual images, and episodes for mathematical learning.” Focus on Learning Problems in Mathematics 11, 1-2: 25-33. 

Austin, J. D. , ed. (1991). Applications of Secondary School Mathematics. Reston, VA;  National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 

Beyth-Maron, R., & S. Dekel (1983).”A Curriculum to Improve Thinking Under Uncertainty.” Instructional Science 12, 1: 67-82. 

Fey, J. T. ed. (1992). Calculators in Mathematics Education. Reston, VA.: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 

Borasi, R. & B. Rose (1989). “Journal Writing and Mathematics Instruction.” Educational Studies in Mathematics 20, 4: 347-365.

Submitted by: Dana
Category: Math
Age or Grade: Grade 9-Grade 12

Title of Intervention: Offer an Enriched Curriculum and Challenging Activities

Intervention: Mathematics instruction has been greatly hindered by the mistaken notion that mathmatics should be "dumbed down" for underachieving students.  This misconception is directly related to tracking and ability grouping, which increase both academic and social inequalities among children.  This practice, in turn, increases students' feelings of inadequacy and helplessness regarding mathematics.

Intervention - A richer curriculum attends to topics involving hands-on activities and demonstrating the applications of arithmetic.  These activities are generally more motivating to students and require higher level thinking.  In using calculators for computation, for instance, even students who have not mastered traditional algorithms can participate and benefit.  Resource materials with enrichment activities, projects, and challenge problems must be readily available.

Reference: Cole, R.W, (1995). Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners.  Alexandria, Va. ASCD