The Relation between Reading Comprehension and Task‐specific Strategies used in Arithmetical Word Problems

Abstract

The study was concerned with the relation between reading comprehension and task‐specific strategies used in arithmetical word problems. Two hypotheses were formulated in the study. H1 stated that subjects good at arithmetic as well as reading (Group 1) would emphasize deductive strategies to a greater extent than subjects in the remaining groups. H2 considered IQ to be a stronger predictor for subjects’ strategies in arithmetical word tasks than reading comprehension. Four groups of 9‐year‐old children with different competencies in arithmetic and reading were sampled for the investigation. An intelligence test (WISC) and three other tests, Mathematical tests 1‐3, were constructed and administered to the 20 subjects. The tests were used to examine subjects’ strategies in completed task solutions. The findings indicated that great similarities existed between Groups 1 (good at both skills) and 2 (good at arithmetic and poor at reading) as to strategies used in addition and subtraction problems. Whereas subjects in groups 1 and 2 mainly used deductive strategies, those in Groups 3 (good at reading and poor at arithmetic) and 4 (poor at both skills) rather used procedural strategies in solving the problems. Concerning strategies applied in multiplication and division tasks a more diverse pattern of strategies was revealed in all of the four groups, but the majority of subjects emphasized deductive strategies. Multiple regression analyses of the data indicated strong linear relationships between the predictors and the criteria used in the analyses. However, IQ was the only significant single predictor found in the regression analyses. H1 had to be suspended, but H2 could not be rejected.