Effective Word-Problem Instruction: Using Schemas to Facilitate Mathematical Reasoning

In this article, we feature two practices that have emerged from high-quality research studies as essential in word-problem instruction. The first is teaching an attack strategy, which provides students with a general plan for processing and solving word problems. The second essential practice is schema instruction, in which students learn to (a) categorize word problems within problem types (i.e., schemas based on the word-problem's mathematical structure), (b) apply an efficient solution strategy for each word-problem schema, and (c) understand the meaning of word-problem language. In this article, we provide an overview of attack strategies and schema instruction to help teachers begin to plan for implementing effective word-problem instruction.