Buoyed by their successful strategies for early literacy, California legislators and advocacy groups are calling for a parallel approach to math.

A new bill would require districts to screen for — and help — students falling behind in math in the early grades, just as they now do for students with challenges in reading.

In education circles, early literacy — such as ensuring all children are reading by third grade — gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Early reading skills have been shown to have a profound ...