Bridges Intervention is an elementary intervention math program that uses visual models to promote student thinking and accelerate learning. Targeted instruction in a small group setting combined with a tiered system of support provides students opportunities to acquire skills and fill gaps. It offers lessons composed of warm-ups (typically a counting or strategy focus to help build fluency), an activity (usually small group or supervised partner games), and a practice page. Progress Monitoring is built-in to this program and ongoing. It includes a brief interview and written task (though I also use the Howard County Screener to supplement my assessment of student learning).
Throughout the first semester, I've really enjoyed familiarizing myself with and using the first 4 of 9 volumes in Set 1. Set 1 focuses on K-2 standards. Each volume is broken down into 8-12 modules including 5 sessions within each. The topics I have covered include Number: Counting & Early Place Value, Operations: Basic Addition & Subtraction, Base Ten Operations: Addition & Subtraction with Multi-Digit Numbers, and Addition & Subtraction Word Problems.
Bridges Intervention uses an approach that allows me to include questioning and prompts to guide and facilitate student thinking, resulting in significant standard growth and achievement among my students. This program helps struggling students move from the concrete stage to the representational, and finally to the abstract. Adding this intervention instruction to their regular classroom core instruction helps build confidence and that “bridge”!