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A Research-Validated Program for Improving At-Risk Students’ Fraction Magnitude Understanding, Word-Problem Solving, and Explanations

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Book cover Interventions in Learning Disabilities

Part of the book series: Literacy Studies ((LITS,volume 13))

Abstract

In this chapter, we describe a research-validated Tier II intervention program designed to prevent at-risk students from developing significant difficulty with fractions. We provide an overview of the instructional strategies used to improve at-risk students’ fraction magnitude understanding (i.e., comparing fractions, ordering fractions, and placing fractions on the number line), word-problem solving (i.e., multiplicative reasoning), and explanations (i.e., verbally explaining how to compare fraction magnitudes). We discuss each instructional strategy incorporated within the program to enhance these outcomes and explain how they can be effectively implemented to improve students’ understanding of fractions. We conclude by discussing results from 4 years of intervention research testing the efficacy of the program. At-risk students who participated in the intervention program outperformed at-risk classmates receiving fraction instruction in the general education classroom on assessments of fraction magnitude understanding (i.e., number line estimation), calculations, released fraction items from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, multiplicative-reasoning word problems, and verbal explanations of magnitude comparisons.

*Author Note

Amelia S. Malone, Research Associate, Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University; Lynn S. Fuchs, Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education, Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University; Douglas Fuchs, Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education, Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University.

This research was supported in part by Grant R324C100004 from the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education to the University of Delaware, with a subcontract to Vanderbilt University, and by Core Grant #HD15052 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Vanderbilt University. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National.Institute of Child Health and Human Development, or the National Institutes of Health.

Inquiries should be sent to Amelia S. Malone, 228 Peabody, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203. amelia.malone@vanderbilt.edu

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Amelia S. Malone, Lynn S. Fuchs & Douglas Fuchs

Authors
  1. Amelia S. Malone
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  2. Lynn S. Fuchs
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  3. Douglas Fuchs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amelia S. Malone .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Rachel Schiff

  2. College of Education & Human Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    R. Malatesha Joshi

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Malone, A.S., Fuchs, L.S., Fuchs, D. (2016). A Research-Validated Program for Improving At-Risk Students’ Fraction Magnitude Understanding, Word-Problem Solving, and Explanations. In: Schiff, R., Joshi, R. (eds) Interventions in Learning Disabilities. Literacy Studies, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31235-4_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31235-4_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31234-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31235-4

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