The transition from arithmetic to algebra in middle school can be critical for students having persistent difficulties in mathematics. The leading perception in our project is that holistic relational thinking is an effective problem-solving tool in both arithmetic and algebra. We worked in collaboration with two teachers of special classes to implement elements of this approach with Secondary I students. We implemented several problem-solving-related activities with students. We collected data through individual interviews with students before and after the intervention. Our data shows the positive effects of the intervention in students changing their strategies as well as overall success in solving word problems requiring relational analysis.