Schema-based instruction for teaching math word problems to students with learning disabilities

Mathematics for Special Needs Children

Solving Math Word Problems (For Ex: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities Using Schema- Based Instruction)

One of the most challenging things to learn for children with LD (Learning Disabilities) is basic math concepts and problem solving skills. This challenge can negatively affect their ability to solve new problems. However, improving a child's ability to solve problems is not an easy exercise. And this might be due to several reasons, such as problems with visual-spatial processing, strategy knowledge and use, language processes, vocabulary, background knowledge, memory and attention. Thus, it is important for policymakers to focus on addressing these problems when designing interventions. Several studies indicate that interventions / practices such as peer-assisted learning opportunities, visual representations, student thinkalouds, and systematic/explicit instruction can help improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities. SBI (Schema- Based Instruction), an alternative to conventional instruction, incorporates many of the above-mentioned practices to improve math learning outcomes for children with learning disabilities (Jitendra, 2011).

Word Problem Solving and Schema-Based Instruction (SBI)

Schema-based instruction is intermediate in generality in that, it shares both heuristic and key word methods. This instruction was designed by taking into account findings from multiple fields such as cognitive psychology, math education and special education. Combining findings from multiple disciplines helped to come up with an instruction method that meets the diverse learning needs of learners struggling to understand math. Even though SBI integrates the use of explicit and systematic instruction, which was drawn from the field of special education, it is largely based on the schema theory, which is from the field of psychology. Thus, it deals with key issues that have faced traditional problem-solving teaching by basically identifying problem schema and analyzing the underlying math relationships that are crucial for effective problem solving. Vary, Restate, Compare, Group, and Change problems represent the main set of schemata in mathematical word problems. These schemata are divided into two groups; multiplicative and additive structures. Compare, Group, and Change problems are in the additive group since the mathematical operation used to arrive at the answer is either addition or subtraction. While on the other hand, Vary and restate problems are in the multiplicative group since the operation used to arrive at the answer is either a multiplication or a division sign (Jitendra, 2011).

Change problems are those in which a variable's value changes permanently over time. Change schema often begins with an initial value and then a direct/indirect action results in an increase/decrease in the value. For example, a squirrel gathers a pile of nuts and then carries 15 to its nest. Now only 38 nuts remain in the pile. How many nuts were there at the start? The unknown quantity was changed and this is the key to understanding and solving such problems. The Group schema entails many smaller quantities merging to form a new and larger group. The stress on Group schema is on the part-part-whole concept. For instance, a baseball cap costs 10 dollars and a baseball bat costs 50 dollars. How much will it cost you to buy the two? This requires the understanding that the unknown value is comprised of two parts (the cost of the cap and that of the bat). The Compare problems involve a situation that compares two unique and unrelated sets. The two sets are referred to as the referent and the compared. In the Compare schema, the stress is on the relation between the two sets being compared. For example, at the park, there are some children on swings while 8 are on the slide. And the number of children on the slides is 5 more than those on swings. How many children are there on the swings? The two quantities to compare are the number of children on swings (unknown value) and those on slides and the relation between the two slides are five children (Jitendra, 2011).

If one is to implement the SBI effectively, he or she needs to take into account several issues. Teachers must change how they give direction and also increase the visual cues that they give to their students. Teachers also ought to model how they utilize common rules and schematic diagrams and also how they analyze solutions. Learners must also be taught how to utilize a strategy checklist on which they can anchor their understanding of mathematical problems as well as use to interact with other students in peer-to-peer exchanges. Finally, it is important for teachers to give adequate examples, with different problem types. If all these are fully implemented, the goals of schema-based instruction, which are the development of problem comprehension and the incorporation of procedures and concepts (Lim, 2015).

According to researchers, Jitendra and Star (2011), SBI should serve as an alternative to the current instruction since it enhances math problem solving. The researchers also report that studies have shown that the use of SBI helps students through dealing with specific deficits since it teaches them strategies and techniques to scaffold their learning (Jitendra & Star, 2011, p. 15).

Conclusion

Schema-based instruction has been proved to develop problem comprehension and help students incorporate concepts and procedures. Though it has been presented as an alternative, it is simply a combination of multiple traditional techniques and strategies. Some of the techniques used to improve learning outcomes for students with LD using schema-based instruction include peer-assisted learning opportunities, visual representations, student thinkalouds, and systematic/explicit instruction. As mentioned above, students with LD who receive schema-based instruction record improved learning outcomes in visual memory and problem solving while learners with LD who do not receive did not improve to the level of their counterparts. The main objective of schema-based instruction is to help improve visual memory and problem solving skills (Golestaneh, Nejad, & Reishehri, 2014). The two main lines of schema based instruction are Fuchs' and Jitendra's. Though these lines of SBI have several differences, they also share important elements. For instance, they both entail the following problem-solving strategy (1) Read the math word problem (2) Identify the underlying schema and, (3) solve the problem utilizing the solution finding method that is specific to the underlying schema. Regardless of whether the deficit is in visual-spatial processing, strategy knowledge and use, language processes, vocabulary, background knowledge, memory and attention, schema based instruction can help the student to improve in learning mathematics (Powell, 2011).