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Abstract
The majority of research in mathematics for primary-aged children has been concentrated on students who are achieving at grade level, neglecting a much larger group, students with mathematics difficulties. The current study is a cognitive strategy intervention for second grade students experiencing mathematics difficulties. Students (n = 51) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control conditions. Students in the treatment group received six weeks of instruction addressing several components of number sense and fluency. Students were pretested and posttested on addition and subtraction accuracy, cognitive strategy use, place value, and spatial ability. ANCOVAs revealed no significant differences between the treatment group and control group following the intervention. While these results were not expected, implementation of the intervention earlier in the school year may have produced different results. Improvement for students experiencing mathematics difficulties will necessitate a shift in instructional emphasis and sustained intervention.