Small Group Administration of a Mathematics Intervention in a School Setting

Abstract

Low math competence has been linked to negative outcomes in a number of areas of life. Adults with poorer math skills are more likely to report lower wages and rates of employment and more frequent health concerns and legal woes than those with higher math proficiency. As children’s early math abilities are significantly predictive of their later math competence, it is crucial that effective interventions are implemented for those experiencing math difficulties. One such intervention is the Math Interactive Learning Experience (MILE). MILE was originally developed to help strengthen math abilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and although efficacious, the scope of this program was limited by the time and cost associated with delivering an individually-administered, lab-based intervention. The current pilot study (N = 14) was therefore carried out to determine whether the impact of the MILE program could be maintained when it was modified to increase feasibility in three key ways: (1) by shifting administration to educational professionals in a school setting, (2) by delivering the intervention in small groups, and (3) by including children with a variety of neurodevelopmental and learning difficulties. Results showed that the modified MILE program had a positive impact on participants’ math scores. Children in the intervention group improved significantly more on a measure of math achievement than children in the waitlist control group, and importantly, these math score gains were also maintained at the time of 6-month follow up. Furthermore, nearly 86% of children who completed the intervention improved by a standard deviation or more in at least one math content area on the same measure. However, despite these positive findings, feedback from the educators who delivered the intervention also revealed issues with program feasibility that must be addressed in future studies.