Proactive Mathematics Interventions, Grades 2-5: Priming for Success Through Engaging Tasks and Purposeful Design(Corwin Mathematics Series)

Shifting from remediation to preparation so all students can thrive in mathematics Traditional math interventions often focus on remediation, addressing gaps only after students have fallen behind. Proactive Mathematics Interventions, Grades 2–5: Priming for Success Through Engaging Tasks and Purposeful Design presents a game-changing approach that shifts the focus from "fixing kids" to fixing systems. Designed with a strengths-based perspective, this resource equips educators to prime students for success by preparing them with the foundational skills and confidence needed for grade-level success and beyond. Grounded in the latest research, the book tackles critical challenges such as systemic inequities, math anxiety, and gaps in student readiness. By integrating formative assessment, asset-based strategies, and practical intervention tasks, this comprehensive guide supports teachers, math coaches, interventionists, and school leaders to create proactive systems that meet every learner where they’re at. Packed with 40+ adaptable tasks, more than 100 printable instructional resources, and actionable strategies, this guide Provides a strength-based intervention model to help uncover and build on students’ existing strengths to cultivate their mathematical confidence Gives step-by-step guidance on creating a proactive intervention system—from collaborative planning to formative assessment Includes engaging and adaptable low-floor, high-ceiling tasks to support grade-level instruction on critical mathematical topics. Offers voices from the field with real-life success stories from educators implementing proactive strategies in their classrooms, their intervention sessions, and their tutoring sessions. Start transforming your approach to intervention today to make a lasting impact on your student′s mathematical successes and identities. This is a must-have tool for educators committed to addressing inequities and redefining intervention, this book ensures every student can be a confident, capable doer of mathematics.

Table of Contents:
Preface What Is This Book About? Who Is This Book For? How Does This Book Work? More on Priming How Do We Use Certain Language in This Book? Why Do We Choose Certain Terms? How Does Strengths-Based Language Change Mindsets? How Do We Define Terms Throughout the Text? Acknowledgements About the Authors Part 1: Introduction to Priming Chapter 1: Introduction. Proactive Intervention: Fixing Structures, Not Children So What’s the Problem? What’s Being Done? What Needs to Change? What Is the Research Base? Recommendation 1: Systematic Instruction Recommendation 2: Mathematical Language Recommendation 3: Representations Recommendation 4: Number Lines Recommendation 5: Word Problems Recommendation 6: Timed Activities When We Talk About Intervention, What Do We Mean? What Do We Mean by Tutoring? What Are Some Key Elements of the Intervention Instruction? Employing Multiple Representations Collaborating Across the Team Using a Preemptive and Proactive Approach What Should We Think About Next? Reflection Opportunities for Chapter 1 Chapter 2: Characteristics of Effective Strengths-Based Interventions What Is Strengths-Based Teaching and Learning? What Is the Strengths-Spotting Process Four Steps to Spotting Strengths Example of the Process Using a Student’s Representation How Do We Build Rapport and Relationships? What Does It Mean to Be a Warm Demander? How Can We Integrate Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching as We Engage in Intervention Activities? How Can We Leverage Family Involvement in Supporting Math Proactive Intervention? How Can We Help Students Avoid or Overcome Math Anxiety? Reflection Opportunities for Chapter 2 Chapter 3: Formative Assessment: Targeting and Monitoring Interventions What Is Formative Assessment, and Why Is It Important? What’s the Role of Summative Assessments? And What About Feedback? How Can We Focus on Formative Assessment in Intervention Settings? Observation Tools Interview Tools Show Me Tool What Is the Importance of Task Selection in Assessment? How Can We Connect Assessment and Instruction? Reflection Opportunities for Chapter 3 Chapter 4: YOUR TURN: A Proactive Preventative Mathematics Intervention/Tutoring Model in Action Considering Elements of Your Mathematics Intervention Program How Is Our Approach Different? What Does Planning for Priming Look Like? What Does a Planning Conversation Sound Like? How Do We Connect Strengths-Based Teaching and Formative Assessment? How Can We Communicate Student Progress? What Are Other Considerations We Need to Think About? Staffing Time and Location Program Size Instructional Materials Instruction and Assessment Where Do You Begin Priming Intervention Lessons? What Can We Learn From Listening to the Voices of Others Trying Priming in Their Schools? And Now, It’s Your Turn! Reflection Opportunities for Chapter 4 Part 2: Putting Priming Into Action Chapter 5 Intervention Tasks Task 1: Mystery Number Riddles Task 2: Come on Down! Task 3: Trading Places Task 4: Adding It Up Task 5: What’s the Difference? Task 6: Targeted Sum Task 7: Targeted Differences Task 8: Valuable Digits Task 9: Picture This Task 10: Balancing Act Task 11: Escape Room Task 12: Things That Come in Groups Task 13: Garden Spaces Task 14: Build It Bingo Task 15: Rearrange It Task 16: Multiplication Chains Task 17: Speed Estimator Task 18: Magic Pot Patterns Task 19: Fraction Frenzy Task 20: Cake Time Task 21: Line ’Em Up Task 22: To Be or Not to Be: Equivalent Fractions Task 23: Fraction Equivalence Through Quilts and Fringes Task 24: Sport Stats Task 25: Fraction Zap Task 26: Fraction Sums Task 27: Fraction Multiplication: Fundraiser Task 28: Fraction Multiplication: Farmland Task 29: Fraction Races Task 30: Shape Sort Task 31: Alike and Different Task 32: Shape Shifting Task 33: Shapes: Build It! Task 34: What’s My Rule? Task 35: Counting Coins Task 36: Smart About Money Task 37: Measure Up! Task 38: Comparing With Measurement Task 39: On the Edge Task 40: Field Day Task 41: Broken Clock Task 42: Tip and Plot Task 43: Picture Perfect References Index

About the Author :
Karen S. Karp is a mathematics educator who focuses on the intersection of mathematics education and special education.  She is a former professor at Johns Hopkins University and at the University of Louisville where she is professor emerita. Early in her career she received a Development Award from the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation to support more seamless integration between general education and special education. She is the author or co-author of numerous publications including Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades and Elementary and Middle School Mathematics. Karen was on the writing team of the NCTM/CEC Joint position statement on Teaching Mathematics to Students with Learning Disabilities. In 2024, she chaired the Topic Study Group on Teaching Mathematics to Students with Special Needs at the International Congress on Mathematical Education in Australia. She holds teaching/administrative certifications in elementary education, secondary mathematics, K-12 special education, and K-12 educational administration.  Francis (Skip) Fennell is professor of education and Graduate and Professional Studies, emeritus at McDaniel College in Maryland. He is a former classroom teacher, principal, and supervisor of instruction, and past president of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), the Research Council on Mathematics Learning (RCML), and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). He is a recipient of the Mathematics Educator of the Year Award from the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), the Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award from NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education, the Excellence in Leadership and Service in Mathematics Teacher Education Award from AMTE, the James Heddens Distinguished Service Award from RCML, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from both MCTM and NCTM. Skip’s many publications including Achieving Fluency: Special Education and Mathematics (NCTM, 2011), and The Formative 5: In Action (Corwin, 2024) have been influenced by his classroom experiences and decades long focus on assessment, number sense, fractions, elementary mathematics specialists and teacher education. Beth McCord Kobett serves as Professor and Dean in the School of Education at Stevenson University, where she works closely with early childhood, elementary, and middle school preservice teachers. She brings experience as a classroom teacher, mathematics specialist, and university supervisor.  Beth served on the NCTM Board and served as president of Association of Maryland Mathematics Teacher Educators. Beth has authored ten mathematics education books and supports professional learning efforts nationwide. She has been honored with awards such as the MCTM Mathematics Educator of the Year and Stevenson’s Rose Dawson Award for Excellence in Teaching. Deeply committed to her students, she strives to create a supportive, strengths-based learning environment that fosters curiosity, collaboration, and meaningful growth.  Delise Andrews is the 3-5 Mathematics Coordinator for Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska. During her career, she has worked in both rural and urban districts and has taught mathematics to students at every age from Kindergarten through the 8th grade, undergraduate mathematics methods and mathematics content courses for pre-service teachers, and graduate level courses for teachers of mathematics. Delise is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and is a Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellow. Delise is an active member of the NCTM, serving as a past member and chair of the Professional Development Services Committee, member of regional conference committees, chair of the St. Louis annual conference committee, Professional Services facilitator, and Associate Editor for the Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching K-12 journal. She is a co-author of the Grades K-1 and Grades 4-5 books in the Classroom Ready Rich Math Tasks: Engaging Students in Doing Math series. Jennifer Suh is a mathematics educator at George Mason University, leading efforts to enhance K-8 math instruction through strength-based formative assessments and bridging activities. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Education, her project, Bridging for Math Strength, focuses on using rich mathematics tasks across grade levels, unpacking the learning progression to enhance teaching and learning. Jennifer uses this project for math intervention and multi-tiered instruction, working closely with special education and general education math teachers to meet diverse learners′ needs. She directs the Center for Outreach in Mathematics Professional Learning and Educational Technology (COMPLETE), conducting Lesson Study in schools emphasizing problem-based tasks to promote equitable access to 21st-century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration, particularly for diverse student populations. Latrenda Knighten is President (2024 - 2026) of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and a retired Mathematics Supervisor from Baton Rouge, LA. She has been an educator for more than 30 years during which she has been a classroom teacher, science specialist, mathematics coach, instructional coach, and a mathematics content provider. An active member of many professional organizations, Latrenda is a past member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, and the Benjamin Banneker Association  Board of Directors. She is also the co-author of two books: Classroom-Ready Rich Math Tasks, Grades K - 1 and Five to Thrive: Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Math, K-5. 

Review :
With this new book, Karp, Fennell, Kobett, Andrews, Suh, and Knighten have delivered an innovative strengths-based intervention approach that focuses on priming rather than remediation. The structures they have designed around co-planning, assessment, and accessible tasks can provide much-needed clarity to the complex task of math intervention work. This work takes the idea of building from student strengths and makes it tangible. I am so excited to see schools and districts implement this work! What a great resource for supporting interventions! One of the key features of this book is that it provides a detailed process for planning interventions that will assist students in accessing grade-level content. The tasks provided are especially helpful in using rich tasks that engage students as they make sense of mathematics. This book transforms mathematics intervention! It skillfully weaves together research-based practices of mathematics education and special education to empower educators and their students to be active doers of mathematics. The innovative, strengths-based approach positions all students to be successful by promoting student agency, educator collaboration, and a solid mathematical foundation. This is a must-have resource for all as it offers a new way of thinking about mathematics intervention to drive much-needed change. Proactive Mathematics Interventions is a game changer! The authors masterfully combine research-based frameworks and instruction to create a coherent picture on how to effectively implement interventions. This must-read book provides clear examples, detailed descriptions, and numerous resources. This book reminds us that effective intervention isn’t about fixing kids. It’s about fixing systems. With deep respect for teachers and students, the authors share a proactive, strengths-based approach full of practical strategies that help students engage, reason, and see themselves as capable, confident math learners. It′s a must-have for every educator. Proactive Mathematics Interventions advocates for rethinking our traditional deficit approaches to intervention and provides a vision for a strengths-based approach that uncovers and builds upon what students knows and can do in time for them to shine within their classrooms. In addition to advocating for a priming approach, this resource supports educators to enact this instructional shift with tasks and activities that revisit and strengthen foundational understandings while proactively positioning every student to thrive with grade-level content. As mathematics specialists, we′re always looking for ways to enhance our support for both teachers and students. Proactive Mathematics Interventions, Grades 2-5 offers precisely that shift – moving us from a reactive stance to a proactive one within our mathematics and MTSS frameworks. This resource champions the development of a more robust system of support, one centered on a truly transformational approach to mathematics intervention. This book emphasizes a strengths-based perspective, where we leverage the insights gained from formative assessment to guide students in ′doing the math′ through thoughtfully chosen, purposeful tasks. This book is an invaluable tool to lead the way in fostering a more proactive and effective mathematics learning environment. This book will have a permanent spot on your professional bookshelf, but it will hardly ever actually be on the bookshelf. It makes the path for shifting from reactive interventions to proactive interventions clear and the authors provide a comprehensive plan to get there. The task resources are robust and the critical discussion of how to transform a system will impact students for years. Proactive Mathematics Interventions shifts the focus from remediation to readiness with a powerful "priming" approach. Designed for grades 2–5, it offers timely, targeted strategies grounded in math progressions. With practical tasks and clear guidance, this resource equips teachers, coaches, and leaders to support all learners—especially those who struggle—before they fall behind. A must-have for proactive, meaningful math instruction.