Teaching the partial products multiplication algorithm to students who struggle using CRA‐I

Effective mathematics interventions should be explicit and include students’ active involvement with multiple representations of the mathematical concept. The concrete‐representational‐abstract‐integrated (CRA‐I) sequence includes these characteristics and has been shown as an effective practice for students who struggle in mathematics. The purpose of the current study was to use CRA‐I, to teach the partial products algorithm. Three fifth‐grade students receiving Tier 3 instruction within a multi‐tiered system of support participated in the study, using base 10 blocks, number lines, and arrays. The researchers used a multiple probe across students design and collected data regarding students’ progress, mastery, and conceptual understanding. There were functional relations between CRA‐I and each of the skills related to progress, mastery, and conceptual understanding. Implications and conclusions will be discussed.