A Mathematics-Vocabulary Intervention Combined With Schema Instruction for Grade 4 Students With Mathematics Difficulty

Students with mathematics difficulty (i.e., those who perform at or below a designated cut score on a mathematics screening assessment) frequently demonstrate limited mathematics-vocabulary knowledge. Challenges with mathematics vocabulary can impact students’ ability to comprehend and solve mathematics word problems. This study focused on the effects of a combined mathematics-vocabulary and word-problem intervention on mathematics-vocabulary knowledge and word-problem performance. Grade 4 students with mathematics difficulty were randomly assigned to the intervention condition ( n  = 26) or the business-as-usual control condition ( n  = 24). At posttest, participants in the intervention condition significantly outperformed those in the control condition on a proximal measure of mathematics vocabulary ( p  < .001, g  = 0.96). Those in the intervention condition also outperformed those in the control condition on an application measure of mathematics vocabulary; however, differences between the two groups were not significant ( p  = .450, g  = 0.10). Results demonstrated significant effects on word-problem solving in favor of the intervention condition ( p  < .001, g  = 1.66). Areas for future research include (a) support of mathematics-vocabulary application and (b) analysis of isolated intervention components.