Proactive Mathematics Intervention, Grades 6-8: Priming for Success Through Engaging Tasks and Purposeful Design

Shifting from remediation to preparation so all students can thrive in mathematics

Middle school math interventions often rely on remediation, addressing gaps only after students have already fallen behind. What if we shifted to a proactive, humanizing approach? By using “priming”—a strengths-based strategy that prepares students before they encounter new grade-level material—educators can address flawed structures in the system rather than trying to “fix” students. This welcoming guide empowers teachers to help students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction fortify their foundational skills and conceptual understanding, reduce anxiety, and still actively engage with their peers in learning the grade-level concepts and skills of middle school.

Grounded in the latest research, the book tackles critical challenges such as systemic inequities, disengagement, and gaps in student readiness. By integrating formative assessment, asset-based strategies, and practical and engaging intervention tasks, this comprehensive guide supports teachers, math coaches, interventionists, and school leaders to create proactive systems that meet every learner where they are.

Features include:

• 30 ready-to-use, multimodal intervention tasks designed with low floors and high ceilings so every student can engage 
• Practical guidance on using the concrete, semiconcrete, and abstract (CSA) approach to build deep, lasting understanding
• Formative assessment tools tailored for intervention settings to monitor growth and individualize instruction
• Classroom vignettes, student work samples, and reflection questions for professional learning communities

Discover how to transform math intervention—systematically and systemically—from a space of remediation to one of genuine empowerment. By embracing priming, educators will be able to cultivate positive mathematical identities and ensure all students are confident, prepared, and ready to learn.