8.1: Introduction

Alarge percentage of the population, between 5% and 9%, experience mathematics disabilities which presents chronic challenges (Fuchs, et al., 2011). Mathematics achievement is vital to attaining post-secondary trajectories including entrance into college and meaningful careers (Bryant, Bryant, Williams, Kim, & Shin, 2013; Geary, 2013). Early intervention is therefore critical, though no one intervention has been shown to be effective for all students. For example, a study by Fuchs and colleagues (2005) showed that early intervention in first grade provided significant reductions in math difficulties that persisted over the following year, however 3 to 6% of the population continued to have math related deficits (Fuchs, et al., 2005). Current emphases on real-world applications such as those posited in the common core state standards (CCSS) has drawn increased attention to word problem solving skills. As Fuchs et al. (2011) describe, there is a distinction between arithmetic and word problem skills. Arithmetic refers to “computations problems (e.g., 5 + 6 = 11; 12 – 5 = 7) that cannot be solved via algorithms,” (Fuchs, et al., 2011, p. 434). Word problems require the student to be able to read and comprehend text to identify information to be used in calculatinga problem, thus it requires different skills at the outset.

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