Teaching middle school students with learning disabilities to solve word problems using a schema-based approach

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a schema strategy on the mathematical word-problem-solving performance of 4 sixth-and seventh-grade students (2 girls, 2 boys) with learning disabilities. A multiple-baseline design across students and across two behaviors was used. Results indicated that the schema strategy led to an increase in word-problem-solving performance for all 4 students. Further, these results were maintained at a 2 and 4 weeks follow-up, and all 4 students' performance on two-step word problems (M = 86% correct) at the end of the study surpassed that of the normative sample (M = 54% correct). Student treatment acceptability ratings revealed that the strategy was helpful in solving word problems.