8 Math Strategies For Struggling Students Sadlier

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 27, 2025, 12:53 PM

8 math strategies for struggling students sadlier

Any student can become an expert mathematician through hard work and continuous practice. One of the challenging parts of being an educator is teaching to the wide range of abilities in the classroom. In this article, we'll explore eight strategies that will help struggling math students. Plus, download free resources to assist you in supporting all math learners! As you walk down the hallway of an elementary or middle school, it is not uncommon to overhear students' say: “I can’t do math,” “I will never have to use this,” or “math is... Luckily, there are lots of strategies that math teachers can use to support struggling students.

A common misconception is that math is black and white; you either can do it or you can’t. In reality, math offers plenty of room for students to explore, experiment, and unveil the patterns from which operations, rules, and mathematical phenomena are derived. Download the 5 Strategies to Help Struggling Math Learners Tip Sheet now. This math blog article, written by Sadlier School contributor Jeff Todd, posits 8 tips for providing math instruction aimed at struggling students. The protocols suggested for each strategy include the following: 1.) Providing rich problem contexts: Struggling students need to participate in these kinds of activities so that they can see and hear proficient math reasoning from their peers.

Experiencing rich mathematical contexts along with their more proficient peers exposes struggling students to their classmates’ proficient problem solving strategies and verbalization of proficient peer thought processes. Observing the way their more proficient peers use prior knowledge to solve current challenges and persevere in problem solving will help struggling students to improve their approach to engaging with rich contextual problems. 2.) Providing explicit instruction: Explicit instruction can be provided in full class mini lectures, intervention classes, or by using differentiation strategies in the main classroom. Moments of explicit instruction can be supported by providing handouts to students and hanging posters around the classroom which help students remember what was discussed. The combination of explicit instruction and visual reminders minimizes the cognitive demand for struggling students allowing them to engage more meaningfully in discussions and activities throughout class. 3.) Decoding word problems: It is not uncommon for struggling math students to also be struggling readers.

These students usually need explicit instruction in the reading of word problems involving strategies such as reading aloud, rereading, and highlighting important words. Explicit instruction for the reading of problems enables students to understand their underlying structure, choose appropriate operations and models to solve the problem, and develop strategies to represent their solution. 4.) Practicing basic facts: Struggling students should spend a few minutes every day working on their arithmetic basic facts. Ten minutes a day in homeroom, at the end of math class, or as a station in a series of math activities will help them build speed and confidence. There are many excellent applications and web tools available. If you have access to technology for this, use it!

Home » Learning Disabilities & Challenges » 8 Expert Math Strategies for Struggling Students According to the latest national report card, America’s students are struggling with math. Only 37% of fourth and 27% of eighth graders scored proficient or above on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in 2022. While scores have significantly declined since 2019 — a drop largely attributed to pandemic-related learning disruptions — mathematical progress has rarely been impressive, even in better years. So if your child is struggling in math, you’re not alone. The good news is that your child can improve their math performance.

Research from Norway has shown that the neural connections you need to be good at math are not innate. Rather, they’re developed through practice. If you have more than one child, you’ve probably discovered that what works for one doesn’t always work for the other. The same is true in learning. While the notion that some children perform better if taught through their preferred learning style — auditory, visual, or kinesthetic — has been largely debunked, there’s no doubt that kids learn better when engaged. Every child is different when it comes to what they find meaningful.

If you can tap into your child’s interests, learning math will be easier and more rewarding. For instance, children who are obsessed with Minecraft can incorporate math concepts into their play. Learning math can be tough, especially for struggling students facing complex math concepts and problem solving strategies. Frustration and low confidence often make it hard to stay motivated. Math teachers play a key role in providing support to help students develop skills and gain confidence. By using strategies like visual aids, hands-on activities, and real-world scenarios, educators can support students at their own pace and help them achieve math success.

Struggling students face challenges due to different learning styles, learning disabilities, and gaps in foundational knowledge. Mathematical language can be confusing, making it difficult to solve word problems and understand instructions. Math anxiety can further affect engagement and progress. Without targeted help, these difficulties persist across grade levels. Identifying the root causes allows math teachers to apply intervention strategies that boost confidence and improve math skills effectively. Math teachers play a vital role in helping struggling students by adapting instruction to meet their diverse needs.

Differentiated instruction, peer tutoring, and small groups provide targeted support that aligns with students’ learning styles. Have you ever found yourself standing before your class, explaining a math concept for the umpteenth time, only to see a sea of confused faces staring back at you? It’s a moment many educators experience, signaling a disconnect that’s neither the fault of the teacher nor the students. This common scenario underscores the urgent need for effective math intervention strategies to address diverse learning needs. Watch your kids fall in love with math & reading through our scientifically designed curriculum. In this blog, we’ll dive deep into math intervention strategies, outlining what they are and how you can implement them to make a real difference in your student’s learning journey.

At its core, math intervention is a targeted approach designed to help students overcome the hurdles they face with mathematical concepts. Unlike the broad strokes of regular math instruction, math intervention zooms in on specific challenges, offering a lifeline to those who find themselves adrift in a sea of numbers and equations. The primary goal of math intervention is straightforward: to ensure every student achieves proficiency in math by addressing their individual learning gaps. This is done through various intervention strategies for math, which are tailored to meet the unique needs of each student. The strategies deployed are as diverse as the learners, from one-on-one tutoring sessions to small group work. ALI Staff | Published March 08, 2023 | Updated May 10, 2024

Mathematics can be a challenging subject for many students, requiring schools to have effective strategies in place to support their learning. This blog outlines effective strategies not only to boost student learning but also to support teachers in their roles. Here, you will find actionable tips to improve math skills, seamlessly add math interventions into daily lessons, and provide robust support to students who need it most. Let’s look at how these strategies can be implemented to foster success in mathematics education. Effective math interventions are essential for helping learners build foundational skills, close gaps, and develop confidence in their mathematical thinking. With so many instructional approaches out there, it’s essential to focus on strategies grounded in research to make the most of valuable time and effort.

This article is written for math teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, and curriculum coordinators dedicated to implementing what works: evidence-based practices proven to support students who struggle. Math intervention refers to targeted approaches that help students who are struggling in one or more areas of mathematics reach grade-level proficiency. Intervention can happen at all tier levels and the ideas in this blog are applicable across all tiers. As educators, one of our fundamental motivations is seeing students achieve. Effective math intervention matters because it provides structured support for students to reach and exceed grade-level expectations. When we successfully equip students to meet these benchmarks, we significantly increase their likelihood of graduation and pursuit of higher education—outcomes we all aspire to see in our students.

Not all math interventions are created equal! In today's diverse classrooms, math educators face the persistent challenge of helping students build both skills and confidence. With numerous instructional approaches available, focusing on evidence-based practices—approaches proven by research to make a meaningful difference—becomes essential. These methods not only maximize our limited time and resources but ensure every student has a genuine opportunity to succeed in mathematics. There are so many opinions about everything these days, the question is How do we know what’s effective?. Too often, well-intended classroom activities yield minimal results in terms of actual student achievement.

Many educators default to approaches learned from colleagues or simply continue practices that have "always been done." Fortunately, we don’t have to leave things to chance, we have a wealth of research that points... However, research clearly demonstrates that certain classroom practices deliver substantially better outcomes for learners.

8 Math Strategies For Struggling Students Sadlier

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