The Effect of Addition and Subtraction Practice within a Word-Problem Intervention on Addition and Subtraction Outcomes

This study examined the influence of addition and subtraction practice embedded within a word-problem intervention for Grade 3 students experiencing word-problem difficulty. Students (N = 448) were randomly assigned to one of two variants of a word-problem intervention or a business-as-usual comparison condition. Within the word-problem interventions, students participated in targeted addition and subtraction fact and computation practice for approximately 3 minutes of each 30-minute session across 47 intervention sessions, but also continually practiced addition and subtraction through word-problem solving. At posttest, students who participated in the intervention demonstrated improved single-digit addition and subtraction performance as well as improved double-digit addition and subtraction performance. At follow-up in Grade 4, persistence of effects was only identified for double-digit addition. Considering addition and subtraction are foundational to many other mathematics skills, addition and subtraction practice serves as an important component of mathematics intervention.     

Exploring academic and cognitive skills impacting retention and acquisition of word-problem knowledge gained during or after intervention

In the present study, we investigated the impact of a word-problem intervention in retention and acquisition of knowledge after the intervention ended. We based analyses upon Grade 4 students experiencing mathematics difficulty (average age at pretest = 8.77) who received one of two variants of a word-problem intervention (with [n = 111] vs. without [n = 110] embedded pre-algebraic reasoning instruction) and students within a business-as-usual condition (BaU [n = 127]) separately. Findings revealed that students who received the intervention not only tended to retain less, but they also showed more active knowledge acquisition after the intervention ended. Furthermore, word-problem intervention altered the contributions of some prior knowledge and skills on both retention and acquisition.     

Researching and promoting phonological awareness in the nursery class

The paper summarises the pilot study and the first two phases of a longitudinal study which set out to prevent the emergence of written language difficulties, by addressing the ability of pre-schoolers to make phonological judgements. It describes the assessment procedure which was used with 240 nursery-class children, aged 4 years 5 months, and the activities which were designed to give these children experience in attending to the sound structure of language before the assessment was carried out. Following assessment 41 children were identified as having poor rhyme awareness and were targeted for one-to-one training. In the second phase of the study, also discussed here, 21 were given training in the skills supporting phonological awareness and the remainder were assigned to a control group for equivalent training in categorisation skills. It is intended that the literacy skills of both groups will be assessed when the children are 7 years old.     

Bivariate developmental relations between calculations and word problems: A latent change approach

The relation between 2 forms of mathematical cognition, calculations and word problems, was examined. Across grades 2–3, performance of 328 children (mean starting age 7.63 [SD = 0.43]) was assessed 3 times. Comparison of a priori latent change score models indicated a dual change model, with consistently positive but slowing growth, described development in each domain better than a constant or proportional change model. The bivariate model including change models for both calculations and word problems indicated prior calculation performance and change were not predictors of subsequent word-problem change, and prior word-problem performance and change were not predictors of subsequent calculation change. Results were comparable for boys versus girls. The bivariate model, along with correlations among intercepts and slopes, suggest calculation and word-problem development are related, but through an external set of overlapping factors. Exploratory supplemental analyses corroborate findings and provide direction for future study.     

Language-related longitudinal predictors of arithmetic word problem solving: A structural equation modeling approach

We investigated the longitudinal relations between cognitive skills, specifically language-related skills, and word-problem solving in 340 children (6.10–9.02 years). We used structural equation modeling to examine whether word-problem solving, computation skill, working memory, nonverbal reasoning, oral language, and word reading fluency measured at second grade were associated with performance on measures of word-problem solving in fourth grade. Results indicated that prior word-problem solving, computation skill, nonverbal reasoning, and oral language were significantly associated with children’s later word-problem solving. Multi-group modeling suggested that these relations were not significantly different for boys versus girls. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

数学应用题解决表征研究中变量选择的现状与分析

数学应用题解决是当前知识丰富领域问题解决研究的热点,问题表征是应用题解决起始阶段的核心环节,本文从实验心理学的三个基本研究要素出发,举例分析并讨论了数学应用题解决的表征研究中变量选取的特点、不足及趋势。     

Examining the Effects of Problem‐solving Training on the Acquisition of Interpersonal Problem‐solving Skills by 5‐Year‐old Children in Turkey

This study was designed and carried out to examine the effect of problem‐solving training on the acquisition of interpersonal problem‐solving skills by 5 year‐old children. The subjects consisted of 74 5 year‐olds (34 girls and 40 boys) attending a kindergarten in Ankara, Turkey. Of these children 38 were assigned to the experimental group and 36 to the control group. The procedure consisted of pre‐testing, training and post‐testing activities. The training phase involved a programme of activities that required working with children for a certain period of time every day for 14 weeks. In the statistical analysis of the data collected ‘Chi‐Square (x²) test for significance’ was used for the evaluation of the differences between the experimental and control groups. The results were also evaluated on the basis of ‘the significance test for the difference between two means’. This was used to study the relationship between variables. The results showed that problem‐solving training was effective in helping 5 year‐old kindergarten children acquire interpersonal problem‐solving skills.     

Dynamic testing of gifted and average‐ability children's analogy problem solving: Does executive functioning play a role?

In this study, dynamic testing principles were applied to examine progression of analogy problem solving, the roles that cognitive flexibility and metacognition play in children's progression as well as training benefits, and instructional needs of 7‐ to 8‐year‐old gifted and average‐ability children. Utilizing a pretest training posttest control group design, participants were split in four subgroups: gifted dynamic testing (n = 22), gifted unguided practice (n = 23), average‐ability dynamic testing (n = 31), and average‐ability unguided practice (n = 37). Results revealed that dynamic testing led to more advanced progression than unguided practice, and that gifted and average‐ability children showed equivalent progression lines and instructional needs. For children in both ability categories, cognitive flexibility was not found to be related to progression in analogy problem solving or training benefits. In addition, metacognition was revealed to be associated with training benefits. Implications for educational practice were provided in the discussion.     

Preteaching versus concurrent teaching of component skills of a subtraction algorithm to skill‐deficient second graders: A components analysis of direct instruction

This study examined the effectiveness of a preteaching strategy as a subordinate procedure of Direct Instruction.Skill‐deficient second‐graders were provided with repeated trials on a selected component skill of a subtraction algorithm beforethey worked the entire algorithm and compared with students who, from the beginning of training, received systematic instruction on working the entire algorithm. Statistically significant differences favouring the preteaching strategy group were found on periodic probe measures taken during training but not on a 12‐item post test nor on a ten‐problem maintenance test administered eight days later. Implications for using preteaching as an instructional procedure for inducing efficiency in the use of problem‐solving strategies are discussed.     

The role of cognitive flexibility in young children’s potential for learning under dynamic testing conditions

The aim of the current study was to investigate to what extent children’s potential for learning is related to their level of cognitive flexibility. Potential for learning was measured through a dynamic testing procedure that aimed to measure how much a child can profit from a training procedure integrated into the testing process, including the amount and type of feedback the children required during this training procedure. The study followed a pre-test–training–post-test control group design. Participants were 153 6–7-year-old children. Half of this group of children were provided with a standardised graduated prompts procedure. The other half of the participants performed a non-inductive cognitive task. Children’s cognitive flexibility was measured through a card sorting test and a test of verbal fluency. Results show that cognitive flexibility was positively related to children’s performance, but only for children in the practice-only condition who received no training. These outcomes suggest that dynamic testing, and more in particular, the graduated prompting procedure, supports children’s cognitive flexibility, thereby giving children with weaker flexibility the opportunity to show more of their cognitive potential as measured through inductive reasoning.

     

Is Word-Problem Solving a Form of Text Comprehension?

This study’s hypotheses were that (a) word-problem (WP) solving is a form of text comprehension that involves language comprehension processes, working memory, and reasoning, but (b) WP solving differs from other forms of text comprehension by requiring WP-specific language comprehension as well as general language comprehension. At the start of the 2nd grade, children (n = 206; on average, 7 years, 6 months) were assessed on general language comprehension, working memory, nonlinguistic reasoning, processing speed (a control variable), and foundational skill (arithmetic for WPs; word reading for text comprehension). In spring, they were assessed on WP-specific language comprehension, WPs, and text comprehension. Path analytic mediation analysis indicated that effects of general language comprehension on text comprehension were entirely direct, whereas effects of general language comprehension on WPs were partially mediated by WP-specific language. By contrast, effects of working memory and reasoning operated in parallel ways for both outcomes.     

Improving word reading speed: individual differences interact with a training focus on successes or failures

The effect of two training procedures on the development of reading speed in poor readers is examined. One training concentrates on the words the children read correctly (successes), the other on the words they read incorrectly (failures). Children were either informed or not informed about the training focus. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 79 poor readers. They repeatedly read regularly spelled Dutch consonant?Cvowel?Cconsonant words, some children their successes, others their failures. The training used a computerized flashcards format. The exposure duration of the words was varied to maintain an accuracy rate at a constant level. Reading speed improved and transferred to untrained, orthographically more complex words. These transfer effects were characterized by an Aptitude-Treatment Interaction. Poor readers with a low initial reading level improved most in the training focused on successes. For poor readers with a high initial reading level, however, it appeared to be more profitable to practice with their failures. Informing students about the focus of the training positively affected training: The exposure duration needed for children informed about the focus of the training decreased more than for children who were not informed. This study suggests that neither of the two interventions is superior to the other in general. Rather, the improvement of general reading speed in a transparent orthography is closely related to both the children??s initial reading level and the type of words they practice with: common and familiar words when training their successes and uncommon and less familiar words with training their failures.     

The Facilitation of Information Processing in Learning Disabled Children Using Computer Games

Abstract The aim of the study was to improve the information processing and concentration skills of learning disabled (LD) children by using computer games in a procedure that enhances self‐verbalisation and mediated learning. Of the 21 LD children who participated in the study, 14 were trained in the specific procedure, while at the same time the seven children in the control group participated in regular tutorial activities in small groups. Subsequently, in the second training period, the control group was instructed to play commercial strategic games, with no stress on self‐verbalisation procedures and the experimental group participated in regular classroom tutorial activities, without computers. The following measures were used to assess the effect of the training: MFFT, Progressive Matrices and three subtests of the WISC‐R. The results demonstrated that the computer games presented within the framework of self‐verbalisation procedures and peer‐interaction facilitate the information processing of LD children. The interactions of passive and impulsive LD children with computer‐related activities should be examined in future research within the context of their ecological environment.     

Effect of different training methods on perceptual learning in impulsive children.

The effectiveness of different training and transfer test conditions in promoting perceptual learning in impulsive kindergarten children was investigated. Interproblem variability was found to be more effective than intraproblem variability, and a differentiation training procedure was found to be more effective than a matching training procedure. The results provide guidelines for designing effective training methods for improving discrimination learning and problem solving in impulsive children.     

Do the processes engaged during mathematical word-problem solving differ along the distribution of word-problem competence?

Conventional research methods for understanding sources of individual differences in word-problem solving (WPS) only permit estimation of average relations between component processes and outcomes. The purpose of the present study was instead to examine whether and if so how the component processes engaged in WPS differ along the spectrum of WPS performance. Second graders (N = 1130) from 126 classrooms in 17 schools were assessed on component processes (reasoning, in-class attentive behavior, working memory, language comprehension, calculation fluency, word reading) and WPS. Multilevel, unconditional quantile multiple regression indicated that 3 component processes, calculation fluency, language comprehension, and working memory, are engaged in WPS differentially depending on students’ overall word-problem skill. The role of calculation fluency and language comprehension was stronger with more competent word-problem solving ability. By contrast, the role of working memory was stronger with intermediate-level than for strong problem solving. Results deepen insight into the role of these processes in WPS and provide the basis for hypothesizing how instructional strategies may be differentiated depending on students’ overall level of WPS competence.     

Promoting early literacy through the professional development of preschool teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a professional learning program on the emergent literacy skills of preschool children. Building Blocks for Literacy^® is a program consisting of training supported by mentoring designed to teach early childcare providers how to promote the development of early literacy skills. A previous investigation found positive effects of the program on the pre-literacy skills of children in Vermont. The current study extended their work by replicating the training for Head Start teachers (n?=?27) in another state. Teachers were divided into three groups. One group received the training and live mentoring; a second group received training and distance mentoring; and a third group of teachers served as controls. The results indicate that children (n?=?97) served by teachers who received the training (n?=?18) made higher gains on a measure of early literacy skills than those children (n?=?36) served by control teachers. The gains made by children in the treatment groups were consistent for teachers who received either live or distance mentoring. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Two-stage screening for math problem-solving difficulty using dynamic assessment of algebraic learning

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of a dynamic assessment (DA) of algebraic learning in predicting third graders' development of mathematics word-problem difficulty. In the fall, 122 third-grade students were assessed on a test of math word-problem skill and DA of algebraic learning. In the spring, they were assessed on word-problem performance. Logistic regression was conducted to contrast two models. One relied exclusively on the fall test of math word-problem skill to predict word-problem difficulty on the spring outcome (less than the 25th percentile). The second model relied on a combination of the fall test of math word-problem skill and the fall DA to predict the same outcome. Holding sensitivity at 87.5%, the universal screener alone resulted in a high proportion of false positives, which was practically reduced when DA was included in the prediction model. Findings are discussed in terms of a two-stage process for screening students within a responsiveness-to-intervention prevention model.     

Fostering Supportive Teacher–Child Relationships: Intervention Implementation in a State-Funded Preschool Program

Research Findings: Banking Time is a set of techniques designed to promote positive, supportive relationships through 1-on-1 interactions between teachers and children. Web-based training resources were made available to 252 preschool teachers who received different levels of support as a component of a professional development intervention, and the purpose of this study was to examine teachers' implementation of Banking Time. Teachers with greater levels of professional development support were more likely to implement Banking Time with children in their classes. Teachers were more likely to choose to implement Banking Time with children who had lower social-emotional skills (e.g., more problem behaviors). Teachers developed greater relational closeness with children who participated in Banking Time than with children who did not participate. Practice or Policy: The implications of these preliminary findings for fostering supportive teacher–child relationships are discussed.     

Reading, writing, and remediation: Perspectives on the dyslexic learning disability from remedial outcome data

This article addresses the problem of what constitutes effective remediation for developmental dyslexia, combining neuropsychological and applied cognitive perspectives on specific reading disability. Despite its high prevalence, whether the disorder is amenable to treatment and what constitutes effective treatment were questions which, until recently, remained essentially unaddressed by properly controlled evaluation studies. Positive results from controlled remediation studies and experimental training paradigms with disabled and poor reader samples are reviewed. As part of a clinical research program at The Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto, we have completed a series of treatment outcome studies with dyslexic samples (cumulative N = 285) in which we evaluated the efficacy of different programs designed to remediate the reading and reading-related deficits of dyslexic children and adolescents. Results from one of these studies are summarized to illustrate the unique perspective afforded through remedial outcome data: Emphasis is placed on what the results of such studies may reveal of dyslexic learning disabilities.     

Avoiding repetitions reduces ADHD children's management problems in the classroom

Abstract

Students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit non-compliance that presents a significant management problem for classroom teachers. Student behavior management training programs suggest that reducing repetitions of commands improves student compliance. To examine this claim, 86 teachers of ADHD students between the ages of 5 and 10 were randomized into treatment and control groups. Barkley's procedure for reducing repetitions was administered in the treatment group. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that children in the treatment group exhibited a significant reduction in non-compliance (p> 0.002), while children in the control group did not. These results suggest that Barkley's technique is effective and should be recommended to teachers of ADHD children.