Influence of the semantic structure of word problems on second graders' eye movements.

This study used the technique of eye-movement registration to examine the influence of the semantic structure of one-step addition and subtraction word problems (simple vs. complex) on the eye-fixation patterns of 10 high-ability and 10 low-ability second graders. We investigated the effects of the factors semantic complexity and ability level on response time and on the amount and proportion of fixation time spent on words and on numbers in the problem. For a subgroup of 10 children, we analyzed the data for two substages separately: an initial systematic reading phase and the rest of the solution process. The data provide additional evidence that the semantic factor plays a crucial role in word problem solving. The findings concerning the effect of the factor ability level are less straightforward.