In this article, the authors define numberless math stories and highlight three strategies for supporting equitable problem solving: (1) The Turn-and-Tell Strategy; (2) Storyboard and Story Mat; and (3) The Act-It-Out Strategy. These three strategies open up problem solving and give every student access to a challenging mathematics curriculum…

Effective and data-driven math instruction can maximize student learning and achievement. This Spotlight will help analyze best practices for developing math word problems; explore how showing students both the correct and incorrect solutions can improve their understanding; investigate math 'fact fluency' and strategies for strengthening it;…

This study aims to obtain a picture of the perception of mathematics teachers related to students' mathematical problem-solving abilities. This research method is qualitative research with a case study approach. The subject of this research is a mathematics teacher in Sumatra. A total of 32 mathematics teachers were involved in this study. The…

Advancement of testing of mathematical problem-solving skills calls for open-ended, realistic tasks particularly susceptible to bias, compromising the score validity and fairness of tests. Informed by universal design principles, this study framed 360 prototype items developed for the "Problem-solving Measures Grades 6-8 Computer Adaptive…

In this meta-analysis of single-case designs, the researchers investigated the effects of word-problem instruction for students with learning disabilities in Grades 1 through 12, as reported in 20 peer-reviewed articles published between 1975 and 2020. A two-level multilevel model with a robust variance estimation method was implemented to…

Mathematics assessments should allow all students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills as problem solvers. Looking at textbook word problems, the authors share a process for revising them using Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Outlined in detail here are problems for kindergarten, grades 5 and 7, and high school (algebra).

This meta-analysis synthesized the available empirical evidence on the impact of interventions on the development and enhancement of mathematical word problem solving skills for K-12 students with learning disabilities (LD) and those with mathematics difficulties (MD). A total of 33 studies met inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. After…

The purpose of this review is to determine the evidence base classification of schema-based instruction (SBI) as an intervention to improve word problem-solving outcomes in mathematics for students with learning or mathematics disabilities in Grades K-12. Using the Council for Exceptional Children's quality indicators (QIs) and standards, we…

In order to solve word problems, students need to be able not just to read the words but comprehend what they mean. Paul Swan discusses three tiers of vocabulary that need to be included in the pedagogy of mathematics lessons and strategies for classroom practice.

This meta-analysis synthesized the findings from 23 published and five unpublished experimental or quasi-experimental group design studies on word problem-solving instruction for K-12 students with learning disabilities (LD) and mathematics difficulties (MD). A secondary purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze the relation between treatment…

Students with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) have a weak understanding of fraction concepts and skills, which are foundations of algebra. Such students might benefit from computer-assisted instruction that utilizes evidence-based instructional components (cognitive strategies, feedback, virtual manipulatives). As a pilot study using a…

The link between reading and mathematics achievement is well known, and an important question is whether readability factors in mathematics problems are differentially impacting student groups. Using 20 years of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, we examine how…

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) was grappling with several issues including: (1) A respectable rate of growth in student achievement for both fourth- and eighth-grade math in the state of Alabama, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), but below the national average; and (2) A growing concern about…

The focus of the present synthesis reflects the research on programs, practices, and policies intended to improve mathematics outcomes funded through the Institute of Education Sciences' (IES's) National Center for Education Research (NCER) and National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). The authors were asked to review those published…

Over the last two decades, students in Singapore consistently scored above students from other nations on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS; Provasnik et al., 2012). In contrast, students in the United States have not performed as well on international and national mathematics assessments and students with…