The Education Endowment Foundation has produced a report 'Improving Mathematics in Key Stage 2 and 3' which provides eight evidence based recommendations to support all pupils - but particularly those struggling with mathematics.
One of the recommendation focuses on High Quality Structured interventions which are needed by some pupils who, despite High Quality Teaching, require additional support to make progress. This recommendation is based on the EEF funded work on interventions by Ann Dowker and highlights the importance of interventions being evidence based.
The report emphasises the improtance of early intervention because of the impact of maths difficulties on other areas of the curriculum and also because of the possible impact of delay on a pupil's attitude towards maths. The benefit of pupils being engaged during intervention sessions is highlighted and the report warns of the danger of Iintervention fatigue 'interventions do not always have to be time-consuming or intensive to be effective.'
Ensuring a link between intervention work and classwork is also highlighted, as is the use of explicit and systematic teaching and the inclusion of models of proficient problem solving, verbalisation of thought processes, guided practice, corrective feedback, and frequent cumulative review
The eight recommendations are:
- Use assessment to build on pupils’ existing knowledge and understanding
- Use of manipulatives and representations
- Teach strategies for solving problems
- Enable pupils to develop a rich network of mathematical knowledge
- Develop pupils' independence and motivation
- Use tasks and resources to challenge and support pupils' mathematics
- Use structured interventions to provide additional support
- Support pupils to make a successful transition between primary and secondary school.
The full report is available here.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a grant-making charity set up in 2011 by the Sutton Trust as lead foundation in partnership with Impetus Trust (now part of Impetus–The Private Equity Foundation), with a £125m founding grant from the Department for Education. The EEF is dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.