Essential Components of Math Instruction

In this article, we focus on five instructional approaches with a strong evidence base for the teaching and learning of math: (a) plan, model, and practice: systematic and explicit instruction; (b) focus on the language of math; (c) use multiple representations, including number lines; (d) build fluency; and (e) provide word-problem instruction. These evidence-based practices have been identified in practice guides about math intervention from the What Works Clearinghouse (Fuchs et al., 2021; Gersten et al., 2009), through the National Center on Intensive Intervention (2018, 2019), and through a number of research reviews (beyond those listed in the preceding paragraph, see Powell, Doabler, et al., (2020); Powell, Mason, et al., 2021; Jitendra, Nelson, et al., 2016; Lein et al., 2020; Peltier et al., 2020). For each instructional approach, we provide a section about the approach. We then provide detail about how to use the approach when providing math instruction.