This article reviews published research on mathematical word-problem-solving instruction involving students with mild disabilities and students at risk for math failure. The purpose of the review was to summarize 14 word-problem-solving intervention studies with regards to participants, procedures, and findings and provide implications for future research and classroom practice in teaching word-problem solving. Interventions gleaned from the review entailed representational techniques (e.g., diagramming), strategy-training procedures (e.g., cognitive and metacognitive), task variations (sequencing and word-problem context), and computer-assisted instruction. With the exception of one study, all studies reported positive effects of interventions on students' mathematical word-problem solving.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anrig, G. R., & LaPointe, A. E. (1989). What we know about what students don't know. Educational Leadership, 47(3), 4–9.
2.
Bottge, A. B., & Hasselbring, T. S. (1993). A comparison of two approaches for teaching complex, authentic mathematics problems to adolescents in remedial math classes. Exceptional Children, 59, 556–566.
3.
Carnine, D., Jones, E. D. & Dixon, R. (1994). Mathematics: Educational tools for diverse learners. School Psychology Review, 3, 406–427.
4.
Carpenter, R. L. (1985). Mathematics instruction in resource rooms: Instruction time and teacher competence. Learning Disability Quarterly, 8, 95–100.
5.
Case, L. P., Harris, K. R. & Graham, S. (1992). Improving the mathematical problem-solving skills of students with learning disabilities: Self-regulated strategy development. The Journal of Special Education, 26, 1–19.
6.
Cawley, J. F., & Miller, J. H. (1989). Cross-sectional comparisons of the mathematical performance of children with learning disabilities: Are we on the right track toward comprehensive programming?Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23, 250–254, 259.
7.
Dunlap, W. F. (1982). Readiness for solving story problems. Academic Therapy, 17, 581–587.
8.
Engelmann, S., & Carnine, D. W. (1982). Theory of instruction.New York: Irvington.
9.
Englert, C. S., Culatta, B. E. & Horn, D. G. (1987). Influence of irrelevant information in addition word problems on problem solving. Learning Disability Quarterly, 10, 29–36.
10.
Gleason, M., Carnine, D. & Boriero, D. (1990). Improving CAI effectiveness with attention to instructional design in teaching story problems to mildly handicapped students. Journal of Special Education Technology, 10, 129–136.
11.
Hutchinson, N. L. (1993). Effects of cognitive strategy instruction on algebra problem solving of adolescents with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 16, 34–63.
12.
Jitendra, A., & Hoff, K. (1996). The effect of schema-based instruction on mathematical word problem solving performance of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 422–431.
13.
Kameenui, E. J., & Griffin, C. C. (1989). The national crisis in verbal problem solving in mathematics: A proposal for examining the role of basal mathematics programs. The Elementary School Journal, 89, 575–593.
14.
LaPointe, A. E., Mead, N. A. & Phillips, G. W. (1989). A world of difference: An international assessment of mathematics and science.Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
15.
Liedtke, W. (1984). Learning difficulties: Dealing with problem solving skills in mathematics. Special Education in Canada, 58(3), 82–85.
16.
Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (1993). The efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment. American Psychologist, 48, 1181–1209.
17.
Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E. & Shiah, S. (1991). Mathematics instruction for learning disabled students: A review of research. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 6, 89–98.
18.
Mayer, R. E., Tajika, H. & Stanley, C. (1991). Mathematical problem solving in Japan and the United States: A controlled comparison. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 69–72.
19.
Mercer, C. D., Jordan, L. & Miller, S. P. (1994). Implications of constructivism for teaching math to students with moderate to mild disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 28, 290–306.
20.
Miller, S. P., & Mercer, C. D. (1993). Using graduated word problem sequence to promote problem-solving skills. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 8, 169–174.
21.
Montague, M. (1992). The effects of cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction on the mathematical problem solving of middle school students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 25, 230–248.
22.
Montague, M., Applegate, B. & Marquard, K. (1993). Cognitive strategy instruction and mathematical problem-solving performance of students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 8, 223–232.
23.
Montague, M., & Bos, C. S. (1986). The effect of cognitive strategy training on verbal math problem solving performance of learning disabled adolescents. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 19, 26–33.
24.
Montague, M., Bos, C. & Doucette, M. (1991). Affective, cognitive, and metacognitive attributes of eighth-grade mathematical problem solvers. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 6, 145–151.
25.
Moore, L. J., & Carnine, D. (1989). Evaluating curriculum design in the context of active teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 10, 28–37.
26.
National Center for Educational Statistics. (1992). National Assessment of Educational Progress 1992 mathematics report card for the nation and the states (Report No. 23-ST02). Washington, DC: Author.
27.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1989). Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics.Reston, VA: Author.
28.
Nuzum, M. (1987). Teaching the arithmetic story problem process. Reading, Writing and Learning Disabilities, 3, 53–61.
29.
Parmar, R. S. (1992). Protocol analysis of strategies used by students with mild disabilities when solving arithmetic word problems. Diagnostique, 17, 227–243.
30.
Polya, G. (1957). How to solve it (2nd ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
31.
Prawat, R. S. (1989). Promoting access to knowledge, strategy, and disposition in students: A research synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 59, 1–41.
32.
Shiah, R., Mastropieri, M. A.Scruggs, T. E. & Fulk, B. J. M. (1995). The effects of computer-assisted instruction on the mathematical problem solving of students with learning disabilities. Exceptionality, 5, 131–161.
33.
Silbert, J., Carnine, D. & Stein, M. (1990). Direct instruction mathematics (2nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
34.
Stevenson, H. (1992). Learning from Asian schools. Scientific American, 267(6), 70–76.
35.
Stevenson, H. W., Chuansheng, C. & Lee, S. (1993). Mathematics achievement of Chinese, Japanese, and American children: Ten years later. Science, 257, 53–58.
36.
Stevenson, H. W., & Stigler, J. W. (1992). The learning gap.New York: Summit.
37.
Stevenson, H. W., Lee, S-Y., Chen, C.Stigler, J. W.Hsu, C-C., & Kitamura, S. (1990). Contexts of achievement: A study of American, Chinese, and Japanese children. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 55 (1–2, Serial No. 221).
38.
Stigler, J. W., Lee, S-Y., & Stevenson, H. W. (1990). Mathematical knowledge of Japanese, Chinese, and American elementary school children.Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
39.
Walker, D. W., & Poteet, J. A. (1989--90). A comparison of two methods of teaching mathematics story problem-solving with learning disabled students. National Forum of Special Education Journal, 1, 44–51.
40.
Wheeler, L. J., & McNutt, G. (1983). The effect of syntax on low-achieving students' abilities to solve mathematical word problems. The Journal of Special Education, 17, 309–315.
41.
Wilson, C. L., & Sindelar, P. T. (1991). Direct instruction in math word problems: Students with learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 57, 512–519.
42.
Yekovich, F. R., Thompson, M. A. & Walker, C. H. (1991). Generation and verification of inferences by experts and trained nonexperts.American Educational Research Journal, 28(1), 189–209.
43.
Zawaiza, T. B. W., & Gerber, M. M. (1993). Effects of explicit instruction on community college students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 16, 64–79.
44.
Zentall, S. S. (1990). Fact-retrieval automatization and math problem solving by learning disabled, attention disordered, and normal adolescents. Journal of Education Psychology, 82, 856–865.
45.
Zentall, S. S., & Ferkis, M. A. (1993). Mathematical problem solving for youth with ADHD, with and without learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 16, 6–18.
