Bridging the Disconnect in Math

Math instruction is at a crossroads.

As Education Week recently reported, leaders often disagree on how students should learn math (Sawchuk, 2025).

• In general education, the spotlight is on inquiry, discourse, and productive struggle.

• In special education, the demand is for explicit, systematic scaffolds.

District leaders and policymakers are left in the middle of what some call the math wars—pushed to choose sides when neither extreme works for every student.

At RoboKind, we believe the answer isn’t to pick a side. It’s to build the bridge.

CRA: Explicit and Conceptual, Not Either/Or

The Concrete → Representational → Abstract (CRA) progression is at the heart of RoboKind Numeracy. It’s research-backed, systematic, and developmentally sound.

• For special education directors, CRA is the kind of structured scaffolding written directly into evidence-based requirements.

• For general education leaders, CRA builds the conceptual depth that ensures students aren’t just memorizing but reasoning.

The takeaway? With CRA, you don’t have to compromise. Students get both the step-by-step clarity and the big-picture understanding.

Multisensory by Design

The one area of agreement researchers found? Students need meaningful connections between concepts and procedures.

That’s where our I-VAKT™ (Interactive Technology, Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile) Techniques come in.

• Math becomes accessible through multiple sensory pathways—sight, sound, movement, and touch.

• Teachers get a built-in toolkit for differentiation without being boxed into one rigid methodology.

This isn’t philosophy. It’s practice. Students—especially those with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)—aren’t sitting on the sidelines. They’re fully engaged, building skills that stick.

The “Science of Math” Is Here-
RoboKind Is Already Ahead

Just as literacy moved toward the Science of Reading, states are now calling for a Science of Math: systematic, explicit, evidence-based instruction.

RoboKind Numeracy was built with that vision from day one:

• Focused on foundational skills like number sense, place value, and operations.

• Delivered explicitly through CRA.

• Reinforced with multisensory scaffolds.

For district leaders navigating growing accountability and compliance mandates, RoboKind isn’t a guess—it’s a research-aligned, classroom-ready answer to what policymakers are increasingly requiring.

Why This Matters for Districts

Education Week captured the tension perfectly: districts feel the pressure to choose sides. RoboKind provides a third option that resolves the conflict.

“With RoboKind Numeracy, you don’t have to choose between inquiry and explicit instruction. You get both—integrated into a program that’s evidence-based, accessible, and built for real classrooms.”

That’s a relief for:

• Districts facing Tier 2/Tier 3 intervention needs.

• Special education directors managing IEP-driven accountability.

• Leaders implementing evidence-based mandates at the state or district level.

Bottom Line

The “math wars” may continue in academia, but districts can’t wait for researchers to hash it out. Students need solutions now.

RoboKind Numeracy is that solution—rooted in research, validated by practice, and aligned with policy. It’s the bridge between competing philosophies and the roadmap for districts who want measurable outcomes without compromise.

👉See how RoboKind Numeracy can support your schools and meet evidence-based requirements. Visit RoboKind.com.

Reference

Sawchuk, S. (2025, August 21). How should we teach math? General and special ed. researchers don’t agree. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-should-we-teach-math-general-and-special-ed-researchers-dont-agree/2025/08