Build Strong Foundations in Part–Whole and Proportional Reasoning
Kickstart: Fractions is a systematic, small-group intervention program that provides students with strategies and supports to build conceptual understanding of fractions—and procedural fluency with them.
Aligned to grade-level expectations for grades 3–5, instruction follows a developmental progression—from concrete to representational to abstract—helping students see fractions as proportional relationships connected to what they already know about numbers and number relationships.
The Kickstart Approach to Math Intervention
Kickstart: Fractions leverages a concrete–representational–abstract progression, evidence-based teaching strategies, and an embedded motivational structure to advance students to grade-level proficiency and build positive associations with math.
Kickstart: Fractions At a Glance
Student-focused
- Hands-on materials, partner talk, and cooperative games create a positive, safe, and engaging intervention experience.
- Conversation-based assessment reduces test anxiety and places students exactly where needed within the program.
Teacher-friendly
- Scripted 20-minute lessons and explicit, embedded teaching support boost teacher confidence and capacity.
- Integrated assessment and progress monitoring tools help place students, differentiate instruction, and signal readiness for core curriculum.
Inclusive
- Print materials are available in English or Spanish.
- Engaging, confidence-building lessons help all students develop positive math identities.
Measurable Student Impact
Fractions are widely recognized as a foundation in math learning, an important bridge to more advanced mathematical thinking and long-term math achievement.
Research has shown that a solid grasp of fractions
is critical for success in higher-level mathematics.
— Bailey et al, 2012; Booth & Newton, 2021; NMAP, 2008; Siegler et al., 2012
Kickstart: Fractions benefits students in both the short and long term.
Short-Term Wins
Kickstart: Fractions engages students physically, mentally, and emotionally to build conceptual understanding of proportional relationships, advance to proficiency, and develop positive math identities.
Engagement
Students actively participate in collaborative lessons with hands-on materials, partner talk, and cooperative games—building math vocabulary as well as confidence and curiosity for math learning.
Positive Math Identities
Students grow confident and see themselves as mathematicians, taking ownership of their math learning and celebrating mistakes as a valuable part of learning.
Long-Term Gains
A solid foundation in part–whole relationships and proportional reasoning prepares students for success in advanced mathematics and fosters community, curiosity, and confidence in the classroom.
Students expand math vocabulary and skills to communicate and collaborate effectively.
CuriosityStudents develop curiosity about fractions and math, increasing their willingness to tackle difficult math problems and make connections within—and beyond—math.
ConfidenceStudents grow confident in their ability to succeed in grade-level math, replacing negative perceptions of math learning.
Research-Based Math Intervention for Fractions
Kickstart: Fractions is research based, aligned to ESSA levels, and based on a solid instructional model. Download the complete research paper to explore:
- why fraction understanding is important.
- how theoretical and empirical evidence inform the program’s design.
- how Kickstart: Fractions meets the characteristics of effective fraction intervention.
Give Their Fractions Understanding a Kickstart!
Help students who struggle with fractions build deep conceptual understanding of proportional reasoning and confidence in math—to access their grade-level core curriculum now and in the future.