Two intervention approaches designed to address the multifaceted academic and cognitive difficulties of low-income children who enter pre-K with very low math knowledge were tested in a randomized experiment. Blocking on classroom, children who met screening criteria were assigned to a Math + Attention condition in which the Pre-Kindergarten…

Collaborative learning proved to be a key strategy in overcoming fear of math and developing adult numeracy skills. Working in groups enabled sharing, discovery, and reflection on the learning process in a confidence-building atmosphere. (SK)