Teach Math Word Problem-Solving Skills (Grades 5-6)

Teachers can help ensure that students (Grades 5–6) in inclusive classrooms succeed when solving mathematical word problems with the Solve It! instructional approach. Even more is that this is an evidence-based instructional approach, and also is designed for use in a standard mathematics curriculum. The approach helps you to teach math word problem-solving skills.

• Teaches critical cognitive and meta cognitive processes.
• Improves students’ motivation to solve problems.

The Research

Solve It! was first validated and refined in three separate intervention studies with students between 12 and 18 years of age with mathematical learning disabilities. More recently, Solve It! was validated in two large research studies with a total of 1,059 students, conducted in inclusive general education math classrooms with average-achieving students, low-achieving students, and students with learning disabilities. Researchers found that students receiving Solve It! instruction evidenced significantly greater growth in math problem-solving ability than the comparison group students who received only the district curriculum. In contrast with the comparison group, moreover, the students with Solve It! instruction experienced greater growth and improvement on the state math assessment. [Read a summary of the research base.]

This version of Solve It! for Grades 5-6 takes into account developmental differences in younger students and was modified for this age group. Research showed that students who received Solve It!  instruction improved their problem-solving performance significantly more than did students in the comparison group. Teachers who use Solve It! help students develop the processes and strategies they need to become good problem solvers. Solve It! allows them to teach math word problem-solving skills to students. The instructional guide and accompanying CD provide instructional guidelines, curriculum-based measures, scripted lessons, extension activities, student materials, and an Excel® spreadsheet application for creating student progress charts.

What’s Included

This instructional guide contains everything you need to use Solve It! Here is the table of contents:

• Overview of Solve It! Instruction
• Solve It! Instructional Components
• Solve It! Class Charts
• Solve It! Cue Cards
• Solve It! Scripted Lessons and Implementation Calendar
•  Guidelines to Embed Solve It! in the Curriculum
• Solve It! Practice Sessions
• Monitoring Progress Using Curriculum-Based Measures
• CBM Administration, Scoring, and Graphing Procedures
• Techniques to Foster Skill Maintenance and Generalization
• Solve It! Booster Sessions
• Solve It! Problem-Solving Extension Activities
• References

The Solve It! CD contains:

• Solve It! Scripted Lessons 1- 5
• Solve It! Class Chart (RPV-HECC)
• Solve It! Class Chart (Say-Ask-Check)
• Solve It! Student Cue Card Assembly Instructions
• Solve It! Student Cue Cards
• Solve It! Class Star Chart
• Solve It! Curriculum-Based Measures (CBM– 1 through CBM– 9)
• Solve It! CBM Answer Keys (CBM– 1 through CBM– 9)
• Solve It! Student Progress Graph (PDF format)
• Solve It! Directions for Using Excel Spreadsheet
• Solve It! Student Progress Graph (Excel format)

Solve It! processes align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (Click to see alignment). Solve It! also aligns with standards in states that have not adopted CCSS (Alaska, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas , Virginia). Click on the individual state to review alignment.

NOTE: If you purchased the eBook version, you will download a zip file that contains a folder (“Files Folder”) which includes the individual files for instructional use that are referenced in the book and a pdf of the Solve It! Grades 5-6 book

Read an excerpt of this publication in PDF.