Informative Mathematics Writing Within an Additive Word-Problem Intervention: Exploring Mathematics-Writing and Word-Problem Outcomes for Grade 4 Students With Mathematics Difficulty

Students with mathematics difficulty (MD) frequently experience difficulty with language and communication in mathematics (math). This can impact student performance in word-problem (WP) solving and math writing (MW), two skills required by state standards and on high-stakes assessments. In this study, we added a MW component within a WP intervention. The goal was to explore the potential of supporting MW performance and WP performance through practice in reasoning and communicating. Grade 4 students with MD were assigned to one of three conditions: WP and MW intervention (WP + MW), WP alone intervention (WP-alone), and business-as-usual (BaU) with no intervention from the research team. Results indicated an advantage for the students in the WP + MW condition compared to the students in the WP-alone and BaU conditions on a MW rubric proximal to the intervention. We also identified a nonsignificant, but encouraging trend for WP solving for the students in the WP + MW and WP-alone conditions compared to the students in the BaU condition. Additionally, students in the WP + MW condition reported positive perspectives on participating in MW instruction. The study results demonstrate the potential for combining a MW component with a WP intervention, indicating the need for a larger-scale examination of MW instruction within a WP intervention.