"Mathematics interventions at the Tier 2 (secondary prevention) level of a multi-tier prevention system must incorporate six instructional principles: Instructional explicitness Instructional design that eases the learning challenge A strong conceptual basis for procedures that are taught An emphasis on drill and practice Cumulative review as part of drill and practice Motivators to help students regulate their attention and behavior and to work hard This article describes each of these principles and some of their research underpinnings, with consideration given to how the principles can be implemented in real-world teaching contexts. The first principle of effective intervention in mathematics at the secondary prevention level is instructional explicitness. Typically developing students profit from the general education mathematics program even though it relies, at least in part, on a constructivist, inductive instructional style. Students who are at risk for serious mathematics deficits, however, fail to profit from those programs in a way that produces understanding of the structure, meaning, and operational requirements of mathematics. A meta-analysis of 58 math studies (Kroesbergen & Van Luit, 2003) revealed that students with math disability benefit more from explicit instruction than from discovery-oriented methods. Therefore, effective intervention in Tier 2 requires an explicit, didactic form of instruction in which the teacher directly shares the information the child needs to learn. Explicitness is not, however, sufficient. A second and often overlooked principle of effective secondary mathematics intervention is instructional design that eases the learning challenge. The goal is to anticipate and eliminate misunderstandings by means of precise explanations and with the use of carefully sequenced and integrated instruction. The purpose is to close the achievement gap as quickly as possible. This may be especially import

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"Center on Instruction www.centeroninstruction.orgBack to Top The Center on Instruction offers materials and resources on mathematics to build educators' knowledge of instruction for students with low achievement in mathematics, improve professional development models for math teachers, and build teachers' skills in monitoring student growth toward important math outcomes."

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