In the domain of "Operations & Algebraic Thinking," Common Core State Standards indicate that in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade, children should demonstrate and expand their ability to understand, represent, and solve problems using the operations of addition and subtraction, laying the foundation for operations using…

This article outlines how a Brisbane independent school, Clayfield College, improved the ability of its Year 3 students to solve addition and subtraction word problems by utilising a schematic approach. It was observed that while students could read the words in the text of a written problem, many had difficulty identifying the core information…

Background: Several studies have examined young primary school children's use of strategies when solving simple addition and subtraction problems. Most of these studies have investigated students' strategy use as if they were isolated processes. To date, we have little knowledge about how math strategies in young students are related to other…

This study involved the development and experimental tryout of 22 lessons designed to teach 23 primary grade children a set of specific procedures, focusing on the drawing of meaningful diagrams, for analyzing and solving arithmetic story problems. Major dependent variables studied were gain on (1) a 20-item test on stories of the eight types…

Using error analysis and individual interviews, the problem-solving actions of first and second graders were analyzed. Shortcomings of children's knowledge and solution strategies were seen to be overcome by instruction. A control group, with usual arithmetic instruction, and an experimental group were established and the hypothesized…

Children, 9-11 years old, solved subtraction problems in the form of M-N=..., then gave a verbal report on the thought processes used, analysis of which utilized a model based on analyses of reaction times, and resulted in a more detailed process model. (AN)

Analyzed conceptual and linguistic complexities of matching situation word problems. Found a four-level progression in conceptualizing and solving these problems: Relational ("who had more/less" but not "how much more/less"); Language Cue (equalizing or compare language); Understand Matching Situations (difference between two…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether children in grade 3 who differ in cognitive processing capacity add and subtract differently. The researchers drew upon information from three sources: individual results from a battery of 14 tests, an objective-referenced achievement test measuring a variety of arithmetic skills related to…

This study investigates the influence of changes in the wording of simple addition and subtraction problems without affecting their semantic structure on the level of difficulty of those problems for first and second graders and on the nature of their errors. The objective is to contribute to a better understanding of the process of constructing a…

Over the past few years a substantial body of research has yielded evidence that the semantic structure of elementary arithmetic word problems influences children's strategies to solve them. The study reported in this document considered three other task characteristics in addition to semantic structure: (1) the order of presentation of the two…

This practicum was designed to improve and increase the problem-solving skills of third-grade students. Using a specially designed 20-item test consisting of mathematical word problems, a preassessment was made of the addition and subtraction skills of 843 third-grade students from high, middle, and low socioeconomic levels in four Florida…

The focus is on the problem-solving behaviors of primary age children on one-step verbal or story problems involving addition and subtraction. When children are given a simple word problem for which they have not learned the necessary algorithms, they are often able to derive a solution on their own. This report focuses on the child-invented…

Reported are data from the first individual interview conducted in 1978 as part of a 3-year study on addition and subtraction using verbal problem solving. The research program is attempting to relate pupil performance on selected arithmetic skills to pupil cognitive processes, instructional materials, and teachers' classroom behaviors. From three…

Reported are data from the second individual interview conducted in 1979 as part of a 3-year study on addition and subtraction using verbal problem solving. From three schools in Wisconsin that used the Developing Mathematical Processes program, l50 first-grade children were individually administered six problem types (two solvable by addition and…

Data are reported from the third individual interview conducted in 1979 as part of a 3-year study on addition and subtraction using verbal problem solving. From three schools in Wisconsin that used the Developing Mathematical Processes program, l50 first-grade children were individually administered six problem types (two solvable by addition and…