When a child is struggling in math, families are often told things like:
- “They need more practice.”
- “They’re below grade level.”
- “We’ve put them in an intervention program.”
- “They need to work on their facts.”
Sometimes those responses are appropriate. But sometimes they are only part of the story.
Good math support should help us answer a deeper question:
What does this student understand mathematically right now, and what do they need to understand next?
That question matters because math intervention should not simply mean more worksheets, more time, or moving a student backward through an online program. Good intervention should help uncover the mathematical idea, misconception, or unfinished learning that may be getting in the way.
MTSS in Math: More Support, Not a Different Kind of Child
MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. It is the way schools organize instruction, intervention, progress monitoring, and problem solving so students can receive more support when they need it.
In math, families may hear about Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.
Tier 1 is the strong mathematics instruction all students should receive.
Tier 2 provides more targeted support, often in a small group.
Tier 3 provides more intensive, individualized support, often with closer progress monitoring and adjustment.
The important thing to remember is that tiers describe the amount and intensity of support, not the type of student.
As intervention becomes more intensive, it should not become less mathematical.
What Should Strong Tier 1 Math Instruction Look Like?
At Tier 1, we want students to learn more than procedures.
Idaho’s Standards for Mathematical Practice describe the kinds of mathematical thinkers we want students to become. Students should learn to:
- make sense of problems and persevere;
- reason with quantities;
- explain and defend their thinking;
- listen to and evaluate someone else’s reasoning;
- model situations mathematically;
- use tools strategically;
- attend to precision;
- look for patterns and structure.
These are not just “school math” behaviors.
They are problem-solving and critical-thinking skills adults use all the time.
Most adults are not regularly asked to remember a particular seventh-grade formula at work. But we are constantly estimating, comparing options, deciding whether something makes sense, looking for patterns, using information to solve problems, and explaining why we made a decision.
Those are mathematical habits of mind.
That is why I encourage parents to be careful with phrases like:
“It’s okay. I was bad at math too.”
or
“Don’t worry. I never use math either.”
Those comments are usually meant to comfort a child, but a child may hear:
“Some people are math people, and some people aren’t.”
A better response might be:
“That looks hard. Show me what you’re thinking.”
“What have you tried so far?”
“What do you notice?”
“Does your answer make sense?”
Those questions reinforce the same mathematical practices we want students using at school—even when parents do not remember the exact procedure their child is learning.
Good Intervention Still Looks Like Good Mathematics Teaching
The What Works Clearinghouse has identified six evidence-based recommendations for supporting students who struggle in elementary mathematics.
Those recommendations include:
- systematic instruction that helps students develop understanding of mathematical ideas;
- mathematical language;
- concrete and visual representations;
- number lines;
- deliberate instruction with word problems;
- opportunities to develop fluency.
That list matters because it shows us that good intervention is much broader than fact practice.
Students do need fluency.
They do need practice.
But they also need to understand the mathematics underneath the procedure.
One of the most important distinctions is this:
Practice is useful when we know what we are practicing and why.
If a student understands a concept but is not yet fluent, more practice may be exactly what they need.
But if a student misunderstands the concept, more repetitions may simply give them more opportunities to practice the misunderstanding.
Look Underneath the Error
A test score can tell us that something is not working.
It usually cannot tell us why.
Three students can miss the same fraction problem for completely different reasons.
One student may not understand the denominator.
Another may not understand fraction magnitude.
Another may understand the mathematics but make a computational error.
Same wrong answer.
Different instructional need.
That is why one of the most useful questions a family can ask is:
“What mathematical understanding is this intervention intended to develop?”
That question moves the conversation beyond:
“My child is behind.”
and toward:
“What is getting in the way, and what are we going to teach?”
Skill and Understanding Are Not the Same Thing
Skills matter.
Students need procedures, fluency, and accuracy.
But I often encourage families and educators to use the word understanding because it gets us underneath performance.
A skill might be:
Can the student multiply 6 × 8?
The understanding underneath that skill might include:
- equal groups;
- arrays;
- repeated addition;
- scaling;
- the relationship between multiplication and division.
A skill might be:
Can the student find a common denominator?
The understanding underneath it might be:
Does the student understand equivalent fractions and why renaming a fraction does not change its value?
A student needs both.
A skill tells us something a student can do.
Understanding tells us what the mathematics means to them, how ideas are connected, and whether they can use the idea when the problem looks a little different.
Sometimes a student appears to have a skill because they have memorized a procedure. Then the format changes slightly, and the skill disappears.
That often tells us we need to strengthen the understanding underneath it.
Concrete, Representational, Abstract: Making Mathematics Visible
Families may also see good intervention using a progression often described as Concrete–Representational–Abstract, sometimes shortened to CRA.
A student might first explore a mathematical idea using objects.
Then they may represent that same idea with:
- a drawing;
- a diagram;
- a number line;
- an area model;
- another visual representation.
Finally, the teacher helps the student connect those representations to mathematical symbols and notation.
The manipulatives or drawings are not there because the math is being made easier.
They are there because a mathematical relationship that is invisible in symbols alone can sometimes be made visible through a representation.
That is an important part of helping students develop understanding.
What Mathematics Matters Most This Year?
One of the most useful things families can ask is:
“What is the most important mathematics students need to understand in this grade this year?”
Then follow that with:
“What prior mathematical understanding is most important for being successful with that?”
Those questions can be incredibly helpful when a student is struggling.
We do not necessarily want to send a seventh-grade student back through every fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade standard.
Instead, we want to find the prior ideas that have the greatest leverage for the mathematics they need now.
Families can ask:
“Does my child have those understandings?”
“How do we know?”
“Could we look at student work or a short task together to figure that out?”
“Could intervention focus on the important prior understanding that is keeping my child from accessing this year’s mathematics?”
“How will we know whether that understanding is getting stronger?”
These are collaborative questions.
Families do not have to walk into a meeting knowing the answer.
They can help the team ask better questions.
If Your Child Has an IEP
Families of students receiving special education services can ask many of the same questions.
For example:
“What is the most important mathematics my child needs to understand this year?”
“What prior understanding is most important for helping them get there?”
“Do the math goals in the IEP connect to those important understandings?”
“Will working on this goal help my child access meaningful mathematics?”
“How will we know whether that understanding is transferring beyond the intervention lesson?”
IEP goals are individualized and should not simply duplicate grade-level standards.
But it is appropriate to ask whether a goal is focused on mathematics that will make a meaningful difference for that student.
What If the Current Intervention Is Not Working?
If a student has been receiving intervention for weeks or months and is not making meaningful progress, the next step should not automatically be:
“More of the same.”
The team may need to reconsider:
- the mathematical focus;
- the instructional approach;
- the representations being used;
- the group size;
- the amount of time;
- how explicit the instruction is;
- how progress is being measured;
- or even the original assumption about what the student needed.
Parents can ask:
“What mathematical understanding are we trying to develop?”
“What made us choose that as the priority?”
“What evidence are we seeing that it is or is not developing?”
“Is there another misconception or unfinished understanding we should investigate?”
“How does this connect to the important mathematics my child needs this year?”
“What might we change if progress continues to be limited?”
These questions are not accusatory.
They help the team focus on the mathematics.
And sometimes teachers need help figuring this out too.
That is okay.
Identifying the most important mathematical idea underneath a student’s difficulty is difficult professional work. Schools and educators should have access to support, resources, and collaboration as they make those decisions.
What Can Families Do at Home?
Families do not need to turn home into another intervention period.
Some of the most valuable math support happens naturally.
Cook and adjust recipes.
Compare prices.
Estimate how long a trip will take.
Measure something you are building.
Keep score.
Interpret sports statistics.
Talk about time and money.
Play games.
Ask whether an answer makes sense.
And one of the most useful questions a parent can ask is simply:
“How did you figure that out?”
That communicates that mathematical thinking matters—not just producing an answer quickly.
Where Can Families Learn More?
Families do not need to become math intervention experts, but a few resources can help make the mathematics more visible.
If you want a simple place to start, visit my Math Parent Guides page at bes-idaho.com/math-parent-guides. I’m building a family-friendly collection of short guides that will help parents understand the most important mathematics in each grade, the foundational ideas those concepts build on, what real understanding can look like, and thoughtful questions to ask when a child is struggling. I’ll also include practical explanations of approaches such as Concrete–Representational–Abstract instruction, progress monitoring, intervention, and math support within an IEP. The goal is not to turn parents into math teachers—it’s to give families enough information to ask good questions, recognize meaningful support, and partner confidently with their child’s school.
Idaho Mathematics Progressions: https://iyspp.sde.idaho.gov/academic/standards/files/standards-review/math/Mathematics-K-8-Progressions-by-Domain.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Idaho’s K–8 Mathematics Progressions by Domain can help families and educators see how important mathematical ideas develop across grade levels.
Math Milestones: https://learnwithsap.org/math-milestones/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Math Milestones from Student Achievement Partners gives a very accessible picture of the important mathematics at each grade level through a small set of meaningful tasks.
What Works Clearinghouse Math Intervention Guide https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Docs/PracticeGuide/WWC2021006-Math-PG.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades, explains the six evidence-based recommendations for mathematics intervention.
Learn About Concrete–Representational–Abstract Instruction https://www.understood.org/en/articles/evidence-based-math-instruction-for-struggling-students?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Families may also find it useful to learn about Concrete–Representational–Abstract instruction and how physical and visual representations can help students develop mathematical understanding.
And do not be afraid to ask your child’s teacher:
“Can you help me understand the most important mathematics my child is learning and what it builds on?”
If the answer is not immediately clear, that does not have to end the conversation.
Sometimes the next step is simply:
“Who can help us figure that out together?”
Through Idaho’s mathematics MTSS work, we want to help connect educators and families with resources that make those mathematical progressions and instructional decisions easier to understand.
One Question to Take With You
If you remember only one question from this post, make it this:
“What is the most important mathematics my child needs to understand this year, and what prior understanding does my child most need in order to get there?”
That question gives families and educators a much stronger starting point than simply asking whether a child is “behind.”
The goal is not just more math.
The goal is the right mathematics, taught in a way that helps the student understand and move forward.
Listen to the Conversation
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Idaho Parents Unlimited (IPUL) about math support, intervention, MTSS, and the kinds of questions families can ask when a child is struggling.
Podcast episode coming soon!
The episode is expected to be posted on the IPUL website in December, so check back!
In the meantime, you can visit Idaho Parents Unlimited at:
