Schema-Based Instruction for Math Word Problems in LD Students
This paper examines Schema-Based Instruction (SBI) as an evidence-based approach to teaching mathematical word problem solving to students with learning disabilities (LD). Drawing on research by Jitendra and Fuchs, the paper describes how SBI integrates cognitive psychology, mathematics education, and special education to address common deficits such as visual-spatial processing difficulties, limited vocabulary, and poor strategy use. It outlines the core problem schemata — Change, Group, Compare, Vary, and Restate — and explains how each maps to additive or multiplicative structures. The paper also compares SBI to conventional instruction methods and concludes that SBI meaningfully improves problem comprehension, visual memory, and mathematical problem-solving outcomes for students with learning disabilities.
- Introduction: Math challenges for LD students and SBI overview
- Word Problem Solving and Schema-Based Instruction (SBI): SBI theory, origins, and schema classifications
- Core Problem Schemata Explained: Change, Group, and Compare schemata with examples
- Implementing SBI Effectively: Teacher strategies and classroom implementation steps
- Instruction Approaches for Students with Learning Disabilities: Comparing SBI to other LD instructional methods
- Conclusion: SBI outcomes and unified three-step solving strategy
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Provides concrete, illustrative word problem examples (nuts, baseball equipment, children on swings) that make abstract schema types immediately understandable.
- Grounds its claims in peer-reviewed research, citing multiple scholars across cognitive psychology, special education, and mathematics education.
- Compares two major SBI research lines (Jitendra's and Fuchs') to show both convergence and divergence, adding analytical depth beyond a simple literature summary.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper models comparative literature synthesis: rather than simply listing sources, it places the work of Jitendra and Fuchs in direct dialogue, identifying shared structural elements (read → identify schema → solve) while noting categorical differences in problem typology. This technique helps readers understand the field's internal debates without losing sight of its consensus findings.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a broad problem statement about mathematical challenges facing students with LD, then narrows to SBI as a targeted solution. The two middle sections unpack the theoretical framework and its practical implementation. A comparative section on instructional approaches contextualizes SBI against alternative methods. The conclusion synthesizes outcomes and restates the three-step problem-solving strategy common to both SBI lines, providing a memorable takeaway. Total length is appropriate for an undergraduate survey paper on a focused intervention topic.
Introduction
One of the most challenging things for children with learning disabilities (LD) to learn is basic math concepts and problem-solving skills. This challenge can negatively affect their ability to solve new problems. Improving a child's ability to solve problems is not easy, and this difficulty may stem from several factors, including problems with visual-spatial processing, strategy knowledge and use, language processes, vocabulary, background knowledge, memory, and attention. It is therefore important for policymakers to address these factors when designing interventions.
Several studies indicate that interventions and practices such as peer-assisted learning opportunities, visual representations, student think-alouds, and systematic or explicit instruction can help improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities. Schema-Based Instruction (SBI), an alternative to conventional instruction, incorporates many of these 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 elements of both heuristic and keyword methods. This approach was designed by drawing on findings from multiple fields, including cognitive psychology, mathematics education, and special education. Combining insights from these disciplines produced an instructional method that meets the diverse learning needs of students who struggle to understand math.
Although SBI integrates the use of explicit and systematic instruction drawn from the field of special education, it is largely grounded in schema theory from the field of psychology. It therefore addresses key weaknesses of traditional problem-solving instruction by identifying problem schemata and analyzing the underlying mathematical 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 belong to the additive group, since the mathematical operation used to arrive at the answer is either addition or subtraction. Vary and Restate problems belong to the multiplicative group, since the operation required is either multiplication or division (Jitendra, 2011).
Bibliography
Golestaneh, S. M., Nejad, T. S., & Reishehri, A. P. (2014). The effect of schema based instruction on improving problem solving skill and visual memory of students with mathematics learning disabilities. International Journal of Review in Life Sciences, 18–23.
Jitendra, A. K. (2011). Meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities in inclusive mathematics classrooms: The role of schema-based instruction on mathematical problem-solving. Theory Into Practice, 12–19.
Lim, C. B. (2015). Implementing schema-based instruction in the elementary classroom (Project). Honorable Mentions, 13.
Powell, S. R. (2011). Solving word problems using schemas: A review of the literature. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 94–108. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105905/
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.