What Is Math Intervention?

What is Math Intervention Blog Header. An image of a planner sits next to the title of the blog post.

As interventionists and classroom teachers alike know, “math intervention” can mean a hundred different things depending on the setting. This post clears up the confusion and gives you a clear, practical definition plus guidance on how to make the most of your intervention time.

What Is Math Intervention? 

Math intervention is targeted small group or one-on-one instruction aimed at filling specific gaps in math understanding using data-informed strategies.
 
At it’s core, math intervention is instruction aimed at filling a gap. Most commonly, tier 2 math intervention is a re-teaching of grade level work that a student has not yet mastered. Tier 3 intervention is a re-teaching of content from a previous grade level that a student has not yet mastered. 
 
There is absolutely room for flexibility within those definitions but, in any case, you are supporting your students to fill in gaps in their knowledge and understanding. 

What math intervention is... and isn't!

Math Intervention Is Math Intervention Is Not
Small group or one-on-one instruction A packet of worksheets
Targeted to specific gaps Reviewing whole-group content
Hands-on and visual scaffolds to promote math competency A "math fact games" group
Based on data Same for every student

Let’s get this out of the way right now. Math intervention does NOT mean pulling a group of kids aside and helping them to complete their work after a whole group lesson. 

At the other end of the spectrum? Math intervention does NOT mean stopping your instruction to “work on number sense” or “help them learn their facts”. 
 
If you’ve fallen into either of these traps, believe me, you are NOT alone! 
 
We’ve established that you absolutely must have dedicated time in your class for math intervention– but what are you supposed to do with that time to help your students be most successful? 

What Should I Teach During Math Intervention? 

When it comes to math intervention, your time is best spent helping students build a strong understanding of numbers and operations. This focus is directly aligned with the research-based recommendations from What Works Clearinghouse.

Begin by reviewing both your current grade-level standards and those from earlier grades. Wherever your students’ understanding begins to break down, that’s where your instruction should start. Even if the gap traces back several years, it’s important to meet your students at their point of need.

Here’s what that can look like in practice:

  • A second grader who doesn’t understand that 15 is one ten and five ones is not ready for second grade content. You’ll need to start with place value before they can move forward successfully.

  • A fifth grader who doesn’t recognize that the 2 in 200 is ten times the value of the 2 in 20 will struggle with decimals until they’ve built a stronger whole number foundation.

If you’re looking for skill-based lessons that are ready to use, my 5-Day Focus Math Intervention units are built to support students from Kindergarten through 4th grade, with 5th grade units coming soon. Each unit is designed to target a specific concept over five days, moving from concrete models to representational thinking and finally to abstract application. The lessons include everything you need—pre-assessments, exit tickets, and independent practice—so you can meet your students right where they are without spending hours planning.

Frequently Asked questions about math intervention

Do Math Centers Count as Math Intervention? 

No! 
 
Well, let me back up for a second. 
 
Math centers can absolutely be a part of a robust intervention plan but the centers themselves can not be the entire intervention. You need to provide targeted instruction to your students. They can (and should!) then have independent practice around those skills. Math centers would be the perfect time for that independent practice. 

What About an Intervention Binder- Is that Math Intervention? 

No! 
 
A set of worksheets around a specific skill that you work through with a student is NOT math intervention! Your lessons need to include hands-on materials, representative visual models and your students need to be solving and working through real contexts in their work. A set of worksheets (even if they are titled “Math Intervention Binder”) isn’t going to cut it. 

Targeted Lessons, Independent Practice… What Else Do I Need? 

 
Assessment! Be sure that you are progress monitoring your students. This really just means that you are assessing your students towards the goals they are working on in math intervention.
 
Say you identified a second-grade student as having a need for work on addition and you are providing targeted instruction around the counting on strategy. You will want to continually assess your student on their addition skills and observe to see if they are successfully employing the strategy. 

Planning Your Intervention Block? check out this free guide!

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