An Iceberg Model for Improving Mathematical Understanding and Mindset or Disposition: An Individualized Summer Intervention Program

This study describes 3 years of mathematics intervention research examining the effectiveness of a summer individualized tutoring program for rising fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students with low mathematics achievement. Based on an iceberg model of learning, an instructional framework was developed that identified and targeted students’ specific mathematical needs, developed number sense flexibility, and encouraged positive mindset or disposition. Students participated in eight one-on-one tutoring intervention sessions. Pre- and posttest results indicated that students made moderate to large effect size gains in each targeted area of instruction. Additionally, the intervention proved to produce positive results across three different contexts for delivering tutoring instruction

Effects of a First‐Grade Mathematics Vocabulary Intervention: A Pilot Study for Students with Mathematics Difficulty

There is an emerging research base exploring the relation between mathematics vocabulary and achievement; therefore, we conducted a pilot study of a mathematics vocabulary intervention for first-grade students with mathematics difficulty (MD). At posttest, the vocabulary intervention group scored significantly higher than the active control on mathematics vocabulary; growth, however, was not significant. The vocabulary intervention group had significantly higher gains on the Concepts and Communication subtest of a distal measure. While all students began the intervention below the 13th percentile in mathematics, 31% of participants exceeded the 25th percentile at posttest. The results of this pilot study have implications for practitioners working with students with MD, and also make a contribution to the knowledge base on mathematics vocabulary intervention

Examining the Alignment of Mathematics Instructional Practices and Mathematics Vocabulary between Core and Intervention Materials

Within a multitiered system of support (MTSS), students who struggle to learn mathematics often receive core instruction and supplemental intervention in different settings, with different teachers and different sets of curriculum materials, all of which can result in poor alignment. This curriculum crosswalk describes how three sets of materials commonly used to provide core instruction and intervention differ with regard to mathematics practices and vocabulary. The results indicate that there is little overlap among all three programs for the majority (n = 6) of the mathematics practices, and very little overlap in mathematics vocabulary (ranging from 6.3 to 24 percent). We also provide a set of research-based instructional recommendations intended to help teachers address gaps and improve alignment of core instruction and intervention

"Did you do your homework?" mathematics teachers' homework follow-up practices at middle school level

Teachers' homework follow-up practices, the in-class strategies teachers use to monitor their students' homework assignments, have an impact on their students' homework behaviors and academic achievement. The current study explored the perspectives of middle school mathematics teachers on the three domains of homework follow-up: the practices used in class, the purposes of each practice, and the aspects that may influence this process. Data were collected from two data sources (i.e., focus groups and classroom observations) and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that teachers monitored homework either using a single strategy or a combination of strategies (e.g., checking homework completion and providing individual feedback) linked to a specific purpose (e.g., promote students' involvement). The teachers also reported that they were under certain constraints when they delivered homework follow-up practices (e.g., pressure to follow the curriculum), so their practices' effectiveness sometimes can be compromised. Implications for practice are discussed.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Grant/Award Number: UID/PSI/01662/201