Why/how is reading comprehension important when solving math word problems ( middle school math)? What are some reading strategies to help student comprehend mathematical word problems?

 

Reading Comprehension in middle school math is important because this is when students starts learning geometry, algebra and probability and statistics. Word problems in this classes often pose a challenge because they require that students read and comprehend the text of the problem, identify the question that needs to be answered, and finally create and solve a numerical equation. Many students may have difficulty reading and understanding the written content in a word problem. Students might not yet know key terminology needed to solve the equation. For this reason it is recommended that students learn key terminology prior to attempting to solve mathematical word problems.

Some strategies that may help students comprehend math word problems are researching, and practicing. The more students know about a topic, the better they comprehend and learn from text on the topic. Prior knowledge is the strongest predictor of student ability to make inferences from text.

Motivating and engaging students to speak, ask questions, learn new vocabulary and write their thoughts comes easily when they are curious, exploring and engaged in their own mathematics inquiry.