How Longfellow Elementary Identifies and Supports Students in Mathematics
Written by: Sarah Hoke, Math Interventionist
Iowa Math Counts Act
Longfellow Elementary is committed to helping every student build strong math skills and confidence. As part of this commitment, the state of Iowa recently passed a new law called the Math Counts Act (House File 784). This law focuses on identifying students who may need additional support in math and providing them with targeted instruction.
Under the Math Counts Act, students in Kindergarten through 6th grade are given the Star Math Screener three times each school year to help teachers understand how students are progressing with grade-level math skills.
If a student scores below the benchmark on two consecutive screenings, the law identifies them as needing additional support in mathematics. At that point, schools must provide targeted math intervention and monitor the student’s progress regularly to ensure they are making growth.
The goal of this law is not to label students, but to make sure that children who need extra help receive it as early as possible so they can develop the strong math foundations needed for future learning. Research shows that early identification and targeted support can make a significant difference in a child’s long-term academic success.
Math Intervention at Longfellow Elementary
Students who qualify for an intervention work with me (or a classroom teacher) in small groups of no more than five students, five days a week, for 15 minutes each day. The goal of the intervention is to strengthen important math concepts and strategies. Everything I do is designed to support what students are learning in their classroom while providing extra practice and guidance.
During our math intervention group, students focus on building foundational math skills such as:
Understanding numbers and quantities
Flexible strategies for addition and subtraction
Recognizing number patterns and relationships
Developing confidence and problem-solving skills
Students’ progress is monitored regularly so we can adjust instruction and ensure that they are growing in their mathematical understanding.
Kindergarten: Number Sense Interventions
Kindergarten students who qualify for an intervention are following a research-based program called Number Sense Interventions, which was developed by mathematics researcher Nancy Jordan. This program is designed specifically for young learners who are still developing early number concepts.
The lessons focus on foundational skills such as counting, recognizing quantities, comparing numbers, and understanding how numbers relate to each other. Activities are interactive and often include games, visual models, and hands-on materials that help students build a strong understanding of numbers. By strengthening these early number skills, the program helps prepare students for future learning in addition, subtraction, and other mathematical concepts.
1st and 2nd Grades: Kickstart: Number Sense
For students in 1st and 2nd grades, we are using the Kickstart: Number Sense curriculum, which was designed and written by leading math specialist, Jen Hunt. This curriculum focuses on helping students develop a deep understanding of numbers and how they work together. Strong number sense is one of the most important foundations for success in mathematics.
Kickstart: Number Sense lessons include:
Short, engaging math routines
Hands-on activities and visual models
Practice with flexible mental math strategies
Opportunities for discussion and explaining thinking
Rather than simply memorizing procedures, students learn to think about numbers in multiple ways, which helps them solve problems more efficiently and confidently.
Working Together
Family support plays an important role in student success. Encouraging your child to talk about their math thinking, practice basic facts, and use math in everyday situations (like counting money, measuring ingredients, or noticing patterns) can strengthen their learning.
If you have any questions about math screening, intervention services, or your child’s progress, please feel free to contact me or your students' classroom teacher.
All of us at Longfellow Elementary look forward to partnering with you to help your child grow as a mathematician!
