Elisa Maldonado

ALT One of the clearest examples of math’s literacy demands—and one of the biggest stumbling blocks for students—is the word problem. Solving word problems involves reading comprehension, the ability to filter out irrelevant information, and the ability to plan and execute a solution strategy. Literacy in Math Class Blog Post The Problem With Word Problems Lucy went to the store. She bought 12 packs of cookies and 16 packs of noodles. How many packs of groceries did she buy?

ALT Word problems differ from computational problems, in which students’ solutions are based on mathematical notation (e.g., “+,” “-;”). Unfortunately, word problems are made more daunting by the continued dissemination of ineffective strategies. In contrast, solving word problems involves comprehending text, interpreting visuals (e.g., figures, tables), organizing ideas, and relating this information to math. 11+2=? A theater production charges $21 for adult tickets and $15 for student tickets. If the production sold 102 tickets for its opening night and made $1932 in ticket sales, how many of each type of tickets were sold?

ALT A particularly prominent example of ineffective strategies is the keyword strategy, which involves (a) identifying specific words in the problem text and (b) selecting an operation based on their presence. addition? For example, when using the keyword strategy, students may learn that words like “total” and “more” signal addition or that words like “difference” and “left” signal subtraction. As shown by the below example, the keyword strategy can be effective for basic problems with a single operation. Lena has 8 pencils. She buys 5 more at the store. How many pencils does she have in total? However, it quickly becomes counterproductive as problems become more challenging

ALT The table below illustrates how commonly taught keyword-operation associations can lead to errors in problem solving.