According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores, elementary students who struggle with mathematics do not experience the same progress in their performance as those who excel in the subject over time. The gap between the highest and lowest performing students has widened to such an extent that students who struggle with this subject are now trailing further behind than in over a decade.

Based on the interventions that have demonstrated success in improving achievement for students who are struggling with mathematics, the What Works Clearinghouse, in conjunction with an expert panel, has developed a guide to summarize six practical recommendations for teachers who teach mathematics to elementary students with low test scores. The six recommendations include providing systematic instruction, teaching mathematical language, applying well-chosen and semi-concrete representations, using number lines, teaching strategies for word problems, and conducting timed activities.

Source (Open Access): 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/.