Examining Incremental Rehearsal: Multiplication Fluency with Fifth-Grade Students with Math IEP Goals

Abstract

Reports show that only 40% of 4th-grade students are proficient in math and American students are failing to demonstrate proficiency in key areas of mathematics (National Center for Educational Statistics 2011). Improving students’ fluency of basic math multiplication facts has been recommended as a way to increase math proficiency (Psychology in the Schools, 47:342–353, 2010). Incremental rehearsal is one promising strategy for improving multiplication skills. In this study, three 5th-grade students with disabilities who had Individual Education Plan math goals received one-to-one multiplication instruction using an incremental rehearsal strategy twice per week for 7 weeks. Data indicated immediate and large effects with intervention and growth rates for each student that exceeded expectations. Implications are discussed including the importance of considering both statistically significant and instructionally meaningful results in interpretation.