Computation and Word-Problem Errors among Grades 4 and 5 Students with Mathematics Difficulty
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| Title: | Computation and Word-Problem Errors among Grades 4 and 5 Students with Mathematics Difficulty |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jessica Mao (ORCID |
| Source: | Assessment for Effective Intervention. 2026 51(3):131-143. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education Grade 4 Intermediate Grades Grade 5 Middle Schools |
| Descriptors: | Computation, Word Problems (Mathematics), Error Patterns, Elementary School Students, Grade 4, Grade 5, Mathematics Education, Learning Problems, Misconceptions, Learning Strategies, Subtraction, Problem Solving, Arithmetic |
| DOI: | 10.1177/15345084251398525 |
| ISSN: | 1534-5084 1938-7458 |
| Abstract: | Students with mathematics difficulty (MD) often struggle with both computation and word-problem solving, which are foundational skills emphasized in national standards such as the Common Core State Standards. As most past-error analysis research has primarily focused on a single mathematical topic, little is known about whether students with MD demonstrate error patterns consistently across both computation and word problems. The present study in a Southwestern U.S. state examined error types and consistency that Grades 4 and 5 students with MD made on 22 computation problems and 10 word problems. Using a researcher-developed coding protocol adapted from prior literature, we identified that the most common errors were miscalculation, regrouping subtract smaller integer, and wrong operation in computation; and wrong schema, miscalculation, copy, and regrouping in word problems. The majority of students did not demonstrate overlapping errors. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1505590 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Students with mathematics difficulty (MD) often struggle with both computation and word-problem solving, which are foundational skills emphasized in national standards such as the Common Core State Standards. As most past-error analysis research has primarily focused on a single mathematical topic, little is known about whether students with MD demonstrate error patterns consistently across both computation and word problems. The present study in a Southwestern U.S. state examined error types and consistency that Grades 4 and 5 students with MD made on 22 computation problems and 10 word problems. Using a researcher-developed coding protocol adapted from prior literature, we identified that the most common errors were miscalculation, regrouping subtract smaller integer, and wrong operation in computation; and wrong schema, miscalculation, copy, and regrouping in word problems. The majority of students did not demonstrate overlapping errors. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1534-5084 1938-7458 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/15345084251398525 |
