In this article Debbie Verzosa and Joanne Mulligan suggest a new approach to addressing the difficulties that NESB students encounter when solving word problems.

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) asks students in as early as fourth grade to solve word problems using equations with variables. Equations studied at this level generate a single solution, such as the equation x + 10 = 25. For students in fifth grade, the Common Core standard for algebraic thinking expects them to…

This study aims at determining to what extent visuals contribute to success in non-routine problem solving process and what types of errors are made when solving with visuals. Comparative model was utilized for identifying the effect of visuals on student achievement, and clinical interview technique was used to determine the types of errors. In…

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe students' use of number sense as they solved story problem tasks. Three 8- and 9-year-old students participated in clinical interviews. Through a process of holistic and qualitative coding, researchers used the number sense view as a theoretical framework for exploring how students' number…

During the semester break, 36 second-grade students accessed a set of resources and completed a series of online math activities focused on the application of the model method for arithmetic in two contexts 1) addition/subtraction and 2) multiplication/division. The learning environment first modeled and then supported the use of a scripted series…

Many current and future teachers have little experience with modeling and how to integrate it into their teaching. However, with the introduction of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and its emphasis on mathematical modeling in all grades (CCSSI 2010), this integration has become paramount. Therefore, middle-grades teachers…

We investigated how the updating function supports the integration process in solving arithmetic word problems. In Experiment 1, we measured reading time, that is, translation and integration times, when undergraduate and graduate students (n = 78) were asked to solve 2 types of problems: those containing only necessary information and those…

In an innovative, progressive school, students were asked to solve a fairly routine mathematical problem using real money in a "real-world" scenario. Even though the school values students' ideas, the reaction of the teacher to one student's alternative modelling of the problem suggests that he was expecting a particular answer to be…

I found the need to explore the difficulties faced by Arabic-speaking English language learners studying mathematics as soon as I moved to the United Arab Emirates. Thus, I began a line of research that aimed to explain and understand these issues and find effective teaching strategies for the students. This case study describes the first research…

In mathematics learning, word problems always include sufficient information; however, in everyday situations, people sometimes encounter problems with insufficient information. Previous studies suggest that people cannot successfully handle word problems with insufficient information because they believe a word problem has only one answer and…

This paper presents an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for the learning of arithmetical problem solving. This is based on an analysis of (a) the cognitive processes that take place during problem solving; and (b) the usual tasks performed by a human when supervising a student in a one-to-one tutoring situation. The ITS is able to identify the…

This study investigated middle school students' conceptual understanding of algebraic equations. 257 sixth- and seventh-grade students solved algebraic equations and generated story problems to correspond with given equations. Aspects of the equations' structures, including number of operations and position of the unknown, influenced students'…

Strictly teaching algorithms or procedural computations can "encourage children to give up their own thinking" (Kamii and Dominick 1998). Although such procedures are valid for finding solutions, students often know only how to use them, and they lack the understanding of why a procedure works. In 2001, the National Research Council…

Some students leave high school never quite sure of the relevancy of the mathematics they have learned. They fail to see links between school mathematics and the mathematics of everyday life that requires thoughtful decision making and often complex problem solving. Is it possible to bridge the gap between school mathematics and the mathematics in…

When designing lessons and units of study, teachers prepare problems that will make learning accessible, challenging, and targeted to goals. Experienced teachers often can predict classroom dialogue. This sense of déjà vu is even stronger when they teach the same course several times a day. The questions from the students are familiar and almost…