Guided Practice for Complex, Multistep Procedures in Algebra: Scaffolding Through Worked Solutions

Students with learning disabilities (LD) struggle with many aspects of mathematics, and tasks requiring reasoning and explaining in algebra and other higher-level mathematics courses are often especially challenging. Solving problems correctly is part of the equation, but in order to develop algebraic reasoning and the ability to generalize problem solving processes to novel problems, it is equally important for students to understand and reason through how and why they execute each step in a problem-solving process. Given the difficulty posed by even basic algebra tasks for students with LD, and the importance attributed to reasoning, understanding, and explaining solutions in practice and across mathematics standards and curricula, it is essential for teachers to use strategies and techniques designed to support these demanding competencies. In this article, we explain how to use one promising strategy, worked solutions, to scaffold struggling students’ ability to learn to reason about and explain problem solving processes in Algebra and higher-level mathematics courses.