Dana Omer_Lit Review 1 1

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

TED 690: Capstone

Literature Review 1

Dana Omer

04/14/2019

[The literature journal I reviewed is called Intervention in School and Clinic. The journal

discusses a cognitive learning strategy to employ with students who have mathematical

difficulties and with students with learning disabilities to make math word-problems more

accessible to them. In this review, I include what types of the math word-problems the strategy

is designed for, a step by step explanation of the strategy, how students are expected to use the

strategy to help them solve math word-problems in the primary grades, and a short evaluation of

the article itself.]

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One of the most dreaded subjects to learn in primary school is, without a doubt, the math

word-problem. Many students experience high levels of anxiety when approaching a math word-

problem. The reasons vary from being a struggling reader to having difficulties thinking

cognitively about word-problems. Whatever the case, it is a Common Core state standard that

students are able to solve word problems as early as first grade. In order to eliminate some of the

frustration and anxiety associated with word-problems, it is beneficial to teach and reinforce

effective mathematical strategies to help struggling students. One of these effective strategies is

discussed in the peer-reviewed journal, Intervention in School and Clinic, called the Math Scene

Investigator (MSI). This is a cognitive solution strategy designed to foster the success in solving

word-problems among students with mathematical difficulties as well as learning disabilities.

The types of word problems that this method is designed to address are typical addition

and subtraction problems with simple part-part whole and join and separate problems. The

questions are designed to increase in difficulty as students progress through the problems.

As Gersten, Beckmann, et al. (2009) found, teaching the progression of problem types is

essential, and when problems are taught from easier to more difficult using explicit instruction

with multiple representations, students attain higher achievement levels (Pfannenstiel, K. H., et

al, 2015). The article demonstrates various examples of the types of word problems this strategy

would assist students in completing. One example is the following: “Jenny planted three

flowers. Then she planted five more flowers. How many flowers did Jenny plant?” Students are

expected to identify the question being asked and the unit the question should be answered in, in

this case, flowers.

The MSI strategy is designed to help students solve problems like the question mentioned

above. It addresses six components of word problem solving: (a) State the question being asked
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and the important units in the question, (b) identify important numbers, (c) explain what the

question is trying to answer, (d) select the operation needed to solve, (e) create the picture or

computational strategy used to solve, and (f) discern distractible or unimportant information

(Pfannenstiel, K. H., et al, 2015). The students get to act like detectives to solve the problem. A

graphic organizer or math notebook is used to record information and the information is

categorized into 3 steps. In step one, students inspect and find clues. Using the printed word-

problem, students read the problem, underline the question and the unit, circle important

information, and cross out distractible information. In step 2, they plan and solve. Students use

their graphic organizer or math notebook to write the equation and to draw a picture to help solve

the problem. Lastly, in step 3, students retrace. They write the inverse equation, recount the

picture they drew, and check to see if the question was answered.

The best way for teachers to implement the MSI strategy is through explicit instruction

and modeling. On day 1, teachers can walk students through the steps and have them write the

steps in their notebooks. Teachers can also print out visual aids to place around the classroom to

help reinforce the steps. On day 2, teachers can model how to use the steps to help solve the

problems. On day 3, teachers can scaffold the process while students learn to follow the steps on

their own, and lastly, on day 4, teachers can have students practice the strategy independently

before being informally assessed the next day on day 5.

I believe that the MSI strategy is a wonderful strategy to employ in the general education

classroom and I believe that all students can benefit from it. Students with learning disabilities

often perform better with vibrant visual aids, and when vigorous tasks are broken down into

small, attainable steps. Similarly, students with mathematical difficulties will benefit from this

strategy because they will also be given small, attainable steps that are much less overwhelming
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than a long, tedious word-problem they must solve on their own. If I were to implement this

strategy in my classroom I would most likely start with small groups working together as

detectives to help assist struggling students and so that higher-achieving students have an

opportunity to guide and lead. I think the authors of this article did a very thorough job of

explaining the MSI strategy and what types of math problems to use this strategy with. I would

highly recommend using this strategy in any grade and will most definitely be finding a way to

use it in my classroom.
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Reference

Pfannenstiel, K. H., Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Porterfield, J. A. (2015). Cognitive Strategy

Instruction for Teaching Word Problems to Primary-Level Struggling Students.

Intervention in School and Clinic, 50(5), 291–296.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451214560890