WWC review of this study

A Kindergarten Number-Sense Intervention with Contrasting Practice Conditions for Low-Achieving Children [Number sense intervention with number-fact practice vs. control]

Dyson, Nancy; Jordan, Nancy C.; Beliakoff, Amber; Hassinger-Das, Brenna (2015). Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, v46 n3 p331-370. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1088271

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    84
     Students
    , grade
    K

Reviewed: February 2020

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Counting and Cardinality outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Number Sense Screener

Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample. Number fact practice vs. Control;
86 students

31.64

25.66

Yes

 
 
29
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Number Sense Screener

Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual

8 Weeks

Full sample. Number fact practice vs. Control;
86 students

33.78

29.52

Yes

 
 
21
Whole Numbers Computation outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Arithmetic Fluency task (Dyson et al., 2015)

Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample. Number fact practice vs. Control;
86 students

7.52

4.50

Yes

 
 
28
 

Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Standard Test Book Form A: Calculation subtest

Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample. Number fact practice vs. Control;
86 students

4.96

3.31

Yes

 
 
23
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Arithmetic Fluency task (Dyson et al., 2015)

Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual

8 Weeks

Full sample. Number fact practice vs. Control;
86 students

8.58

6.20

Yes

 
 
22

Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Standard Test Book Form A: Calculation subtest

Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual

8 Weeks

Full sample. Number fact practice vs. Control;
86 students

6.45

5.10

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • 41% English language learners

  • Female: 51%
    Male: 49%

  • Urban
  • Race
    Black
    26%
    Other or unknown
    55%
    White
    20%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    52%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    48%

Study sample

The analytic sample was 51% female. About 26% of students were African American; 52% were Hispanic, and 20% Caucasian. Approximately 41% were identified as English learner students because they were enrolled in bilingual classrooms. Roughly 84% of students qualified for free or reduced price lunch. On average, children in the number fact practice group were 67 months old and children in the control group were 64 months old.

Intervention Group

The Number-Fact Practice condition involved 24 30-minutes lessons over an 8 week period. The intervention was delivered to small groups of students (n = 4). Students participated in instruction that aimed to improve their number-sense skills. Instruction was provided in four areas: number, number relations, and number operations. Students received 25 minutes of a number sense intervention. The last 5 minutes of instruction for the Number-Fact Practice condition practiced basic number fact fluency.

Comparison Group

In three of the four schools that had set aside time for intervention, children in the control condition participated in their school’s typical mathematics intervention. In the fourth school, control students participated in non-academic instruction during the time when the intervention we being delivered.

Support for implementation

Interventionists were provided with scripted lessons. No other support was reported.

 

Your export should download shortly as a zip archive.

This download will include data files for study and findings review data and a data dictionary.

Connect With the WWC

loading
back to top