Identifying Essential Standards to Guide Math Interventions

Ready to talk about essential standards? If you’re like most teachers, you probably wish there were more hours in the day, especially when it comes to math intervention. You see the gaps, you know your students need support, and you want to help every single one of them. But there’s one big problem…

You can’t intervene on everything. (Shocking, right?)

No matter how dedicated you are, you only have so much time to pull groups, plan lessons, and help students close skill gaps. Especially when it always feels like the same students need intervention in so many areas! That’s why it’s absolutely essential to focus your intervention time on the standards that matter most—the ones that open doors to future learning.

The challenge is knowing which standards those are and how to make sure your time and energy are directed in the right places. Some schools have systems in place for this, so if yours does–great! Carry on! But if yours does not and you are feeling overwhelmed, read on!

Let’s unpack how you can identify those “must-have” standards—whether you’re working on your own or collaborating with your team—and how to make your intervention time purposeful and sustainable.

Why “Essential Standards” Matter

Every math curriculum is packed with content, but we have to be honest–not all standards are created equal. Some are foundational—skills that students will build upon year after year—while others are extensions or applications that depend on that foundation being solid.

For example, if students don’t have a firm understanding of place value, almost everything else in elementary math will be harder. Understanding multiplication and division is the key to success with fractions, area, and algebraic reasoning later on. Without a deep grasp of number sense, even routine computation can feel like guesswork.

When teachers focus their limited intervention time on these high-leverage standards, they’re investing in the skills that help students catch up now and stay caught up later.

Step 1: Start by Gathering the Right Information

Before deciding what to target in intervention, start with your data, but not just the test scores. Look closely at student work, formative assessments, and your daily observations. Ask yourself:

What misconceptions are coming up again and again?
Which skills seem to block students from accessing the current grade-level content?
Are there “missing links” from prior grade levels that are holding students back?

Sometimes you’ll notice patterns that go beyond what a single assessment can show. For example, students who can add large numbers on paper might still struggle to explain why regrouping works—or how to apply it to subtraction or decimals. That kind of conceptual gap deserves intervention attention. This is why it’s so important to listen to students explain their answers and to have them spend time problem solving. You want to see who can do more than just “fill in the blank”.

If you have access to unit assessments, screeners, or benchmark data, use them to spot trends. But also remember: data tells part of the story, but your professional judgment tells the rest.

Step 2: Identify What’s Truly “Essential”

Here’s where the real decision-making begins. The goal isn’t to reteach every standard—it’s to pinpoint the critical few that will have the biggest impact.

A few guiding questions can help:

Is this skill a prerequisite for future standards?
Does it represent a big idea in mathematics (like number sense, place value, or operations)?
Will students use this skill across multiple units or grade levels?
Without this skill, will the student’s understanding of other content fall apart?

If the answer is “yes” to most of these, that standard belongs on your essential list.

Example: Place Value as a Cornerstone

Let’s say your students are struggling with multi-digit addition and subtraction. Before reteaching computation, ask: Do they understand what the digits actually represent?

If they don’t, you’ve found your priority. Focusing on place value—expanded form, base-ten reasoning, and regrouping—will unlock dozens of other skills. It’s far better to invest your limited intervention time there than to reteach surface-level procedures that won’t stick.

Step 3: Work With Your Team (If You Can)

If you’re lucky enough to have a grade-level team or a math PLC, use it! Collaborating with colleagues can make identifying essential standards so much easier—and more effective.

Here are a few ways teams can tackle this process together:

Look vertically: Compare your standards with the grade below and above you. Which concepts are being developed over multiple years? Those are your essentials. Ideally, you want to create a coherent path. If fourth grade teachers have subtraction with regrouping as an essential skill, they need to communicate with third grade to see how they are setting the stage.
Narrow your list: Many teachers find success identifying 8–10 essential standards per grade level. Less is more! Remember, this does NOT MEAN you aren’t teaching ALL your standards! You most definitely are! It simply is a way to help you spend your intervention minutes wisely.

A great example in fourth grade involves the use of a protractor. It’s a standard. I have taught it for years. Some students struggle. Do I help them? You bet. Do I pull focused intervention groups on it for weeks after our unit? Nope. But do I for multi-digit multiplication? I sure do! It’s one of our essential standards.

Create anchor documents: Write out what mastery looks like for each essential skill and what evidence you’d expect to see.
Share interventions and materials: If one teacher has a strong resource for teaching a tricky concept (like regrouping or fractions), share it! This collaboration is a great way to build up your “toolbox” of strategies and materials.

If you don’t have a team to work with, don’t worry—you can still apply the same thinking on your own. Reflect on what consistently causes students trouble and what skills your future self (or next year’s teacher) will wish your students had mastered.

Step 4: Plan for Focused, Doable Intervention

Once you’ve chosen your essential standards, it’s time to plan your intervention time. Keep it simple, structured, and student-centered.

Start small: Choose one standard or concept to focus on at a time.
Use short, consistent sessions: A ten focused minute session several times a week is more powerful than one long, sporadic session.
Keep materials ready to go: The more streamlined your prep, the more likely you’ll actually get intervention time in. If you are scrambling, you waste time and are less likely to be effective. If you can keep things at a “station” that you work at, even better!
Make it hands-on and meaningful: Students learn best when they’re actively engaged—using manipulatives, talking about their reasoning, and connecting ideas. Remember, if they didn’t learn it the first time, you may need to try something different! Sometimes being in a small group is enough. Sometimes, you need to teach a concept in an entirely new way.

This idea of being PREPARED is exactly why I created my Math Pack resources—to take the prep work off your plate while keeping interventions targeted and effective.

Each Math Pack focuses on one essential concept (like place value, multiplication, or fractions) and includes everything you need: guided practice, independent work, and simple assessments. Whether you’re reteaching in small groups or providing extra practice, you’ll have consistent, research-based materials ready to go.

See the bottom of the post for more information.

Step 5: Monitor, Reflect, and Adjust

Intervention isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing cycle. As you work through your essential standards, keep checking in:

Are students applying these skills during your core lessons?
Do they show more confidence and fluency when tackling related problems?
Who’s ready to move on, and who needs continued support?

Celebrate growth—no matter how small—and keep refining your focus as new needs emerge.

Final Thoughts

Math intervention doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You don’t need to reteach your entire curriculum—you just need to focus your energy on the essential standards that truly move the needle for your students.

When you take the time to identify those key skills, plan short, targeted lessons, and use ready-to-go tools like my Math Packs, you’ll see meaningful progress—without sacrificing your sanity. Here are the first four packs–with more to come!

Standard, Expanded, and Written Form Place Value to 1,000

Standard, Expanded, and Written Form Place Value to 1,000,000

Addition with Regrouping to 1,000