Increasing the performance of secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) in mathematics on word problem-solving tasks involving ratios and proportions is challenging for secondary math teachers. Teachers must use evidence-based practices to enhance secondary students' problem-solving proficiency and math achievement. Schema-based…

This meta-analysis synthesized the findings of experimental and quasi-experimental studies to determine the efficacy of math interventions for enhancing the word problem-solving accuracy of students with mathematics difficulties in Grades 4 to 12. Further, we identified intervention and design characteristics that moderate the effectiveness of…

Because deficits in executive functions (EFs) characterize most neurodevelopmental disorders, it is appropriate to question the value of EFs for understanding learning disabilities. Two types of studies--those testing whether EFs moderate treatment effects and those testing the direction of effects between EFs and academic skills--are presented to…

The purpose of the systematic review of mathematics intervention syntheses was to identify patterns and gaps in content areas, instructional strategies, effect sizes, and definitions of learning disabilities (LD), mathematics LD (MLD), and mathematics difficulty (MD). Using rigorous inclusion criteria, we evaluated 36 syntheses that included 836…

The purpose of this study was to measure the mathematics-vocabulary performance of 3rd graders to determine if performance differences existed among English learners (ELs) and non-ELs with and without mathematics difficulty (MD). Using screening data from a large-scale intervention study, we categorized students into four groups based on equation…

The purpose of this study was to measure the mathematics-vocabulary performance of 3rd graders to determine if performance differences existed among English learners (ELs) and non-ELs with and without mathematics difficulty (MD). Using screening data from a large-scale intervention study, we categorized students into four groups based on equation…

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 is…

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…

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…

Many studies of school achievement find a significant association between reading and arithmetic achievement. The magnitude of the association varies widely across the studies, but the sources of this variation have not been identified. The purpose of this paper is to examine the magnitude and determinants of the relation between arithmetic and…

This study examined the effects of explicit instruction in the SOLVE Strategy on the mathematical problem solving skills of six Grade 8 students with specific learning disabilities. The SOLVE Strategy is an explicit instruction, mnemonic-based learning strategy designed to help students in solving mathematical word problems. Using a multiple probe…

The purpose of this study was to synthesize the findings from 23 articles that compared the mathematical and cognitive performances of students with mathematics learning disabilities (LD) to (a) students with LD in mathematics and reading, (b) age- or grade-matched students with no LD, and (c) mathematical-ability-matched younger students with no…

Three cohorts of third-grade students (N = 813) were evaluated on achievement, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attention according to contrasting research traditions in defining math learning disability (LD) status: low achievement versus extremely low achievement and IQ-achievement discrepant versus strictly low-achieving LD. We use methods…

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…

The purpose of our literature review was to extend and update Maccini, Mulcahy, and Wilson's (2007) review of the literature on mathematics interventions for secondary students with learning disabilities (LD). An extensive search of the research literature netted 15 research studies that focused on mathematics interventions for secondary students…