The present study summarized three studies of schema-based instruction (SBI), a research-based Tier 1 mathematics program implemented in general education classrooms. We evaluated the efficacy of SBI in improving the mathematics achievement of seventh-grade students, including students with or at risk for mathematics disabilities (MD). The three…

Competence with fractions is foundational to acquiring more advanced mathematical skills. However, achieving competency with fractions is challenging for many students, especially for those with mathematics learning difficulties who often lack foundational skill with whole numbers. Teaching fractions is also challenging for many teachers as they…

Word problems require students to read a language-based problem, identify necessary information to answer a prompt, and perform calculation(s) to develop a problem solution. Solving word problems proves particularly challenging for students with mathematics difficulties because skill in reading, interpretation of language, and mathematics are…

Students with learning disabilities struggle with word problems in mathematics classes. Understanding the type of errors students make when working through such mathematical problems can further describe student performance and highlight student difficulties. Through the use of error codes, researchers analyzed the type of errors made by 14 sixth…

Opportunities for students to learn mathematics through innovative, authentic experiences in an inquiry-based instructional approach have become much more common for students in regular and advanced math classes. Yet, the same cannot be said for students with learning disabilities. One of the primary reasons is that key tenets of the inquiry…

Educational research undervalues the experiences of people with disabilities, including those with learning disabilities and/or dyslexia, whom we call "insiders." In this study, we examined narratives pertaining to schooling from published memoirs and/or interviews with 30 insiders with learning disabilities or dyslexia. First, we…

The present study examined clinical utility of teacher ratings on the Colorado Learning Difficulties Questionnaire (CLDQ) learning difficulties screening within a referred, school-aged sample (N=519, 5-18 years). Of this sample, 419 youth had CLDQ reading scale scores from a reading or general education teacher, and 338 had CLDQ math scale ratings…

This narrative review provides an overview of the research literature on the effectiveness of mnemonics in mathematics instruction for students with learning disabilities in a K-12 classroom. Eleven studies were identified in refereed journal articles and doctoral dissertations from 1975 to December 2018 that met the inclusion criteria. Overall…

Students with disabilities often struggle with grade-level mathematics without appropriate support and accommodations. This study compared the performance of middle school students with disabilities on computational-based mathematics assessments when they had access to calculators and when they did not. Using a single-case ABAB design, data were…

The authors completed a narrative review of studies of mathematics interventions from 1996 to 2010 for helping elementary school students with difficulties in mathematics solve word problems. Key instructional components supported by research are teaching cognitive and metacognitive skills; schema-based instruction focusing on semantic analysis,…

This article reviews recent research in math problem solving for students with learning disabilities. Two recently published syntheses of research on mathematics by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) are used as frameworks for interpreting this body of work. A significant amount of the work in special education over the last decade is…

The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate differences in arithmetic word problem solving between high and low at-risk students for mathematics difficulties (MD) and (b) to assess the influence of attention, behavior, reading, and socio-economic status (SES) in predicting the word problem solving performance of third-grade students with MD.…

This study compared how students with learning difficulties in math (MLD) who were randomly assigned to two instructional conditions answered items on problem solving tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards Initiative for Mathematics. Posttest scores showed improvement in the math performance of students receiving Enhanced Anchored…

The study explored the effects of a computer-assisted COnceptual Model-based Problem-Solving (COMPS) program on multiplicative word-problem-solving performance of students with learning disabilities or difficulties. The COMPS program emphasizes mathematical modeling with algebraic expressions of relations. Participants were eight fourth and fifth…

The purpose of this article is to provide teachers, tutors and parents with an effective and enjoyable approach to practicing reading fluency, increasing comprehension and encouraging the joy of reading, based on the theories and methods of Sally L. Smith. This method can be applied and adapted to individual student's needs. Sally Smith, the…