Principles for the Prevention and Intervention of Mathematics Difficulties

Source abstract

Three levels of prevention and intervention in the area of mathematics are addressed: (a) primary prevention focusing on universal design, (b) secondary prevention focusing on adaptations, and (c) tertiary prevention focusing on intensive and explicit contextualization of skills–based instruction. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss principles of prevention and intervention in the area of mathematics. First, we identify research–based principles associated with primary prevention. Second, we turn our attention to secondary prevention, with a focus on prereferral intervention. We identify principles that serve to differentiate primary and secondary prevention and specify instructional variables that are promising for use within a secondary prevention mode. Finally, we discuss intervention. We identify principles of effective intervention, which include individually referenced decision making, instructional intensity, and deliberate contextualization of skills–based instruction.