Central Washington University

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All Graduate Projects Graduate Student Projects

Summer 2000

A Comparison of Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving

Abilities
Darren A. Cooper

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/graduate_projects

Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Language and Literacy
Education Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, and the Secondary Education
Commons
(

A COMPARISON OF READING COMPREHENSION

AND

PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES

By

Darren A. Cooper

May,2000

Recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the

Washington State Commission on Student Learning Essential Academic

Requirements are addressed. Reading comprehension and problem solving skills

of 9th grade students at Zillah High School are compared to see if a correlation

between these two abilities exists. Recommendations for creating and

implementing a curriculum are given.

ill
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT ......................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................... 1
Purpose of the Project .....................................•............................................ 3
Significance of the Project ............................................................................ 4
Limitations of the Project ............................................................................. .4
Definitions ofTe1ms .................................................................................. 5
Overview of the Remainder of the Project .................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................... 7
Introduction.................................................................................................... 7
The Importance of Problem Solving .............................................................. 7
The Essential Academic Learning Requirements ... ....... ..... .... ........................ 10
The Importance of Reading Comprehension in Mathematics ......................... 13
Summary ...................................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER 3: PROCEDURES ......................................................................... 19
Introduction.................................... ... .... .. ..... .. ... .. .. ... .......... ...... .................... 19
Subjects ...................................................................................................... 20
Testing Instruments and Procedures .............................................................. 20
CHAPTER 4: THE PROJECT ......................................................................... 23
Purpose of the Project .................................................................................. 23
Subjects ....................................................................................................... 23
Overview of the Project.. .............................................................................. 24
Author Preparation ....................................................................................... 25
Testing Procedures ....................................................................................... 25
Results of the Project ................................................................................... 26

IV
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, LIMITATIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND

RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 36
SUI11Illary ...................................................................................................... 36
Limitations ................................................................................................... 37
Conclusions ................................................................................................. 38
Recommendations ........................................................................................ 3 9
REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 42
APPENDIX A ................................................................................................... 45
APPENDIX B ................................................................................................... 47

V
 CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

Introduction

Mathematics is an essential part of the school curriculum. "Even more

important is the student's need to learn mathematical concepts and how to apply

them" (Chinnappan, 1996, p. 141). Many of our schools today put a great deal of

emphasis on computing and basic mathematical basic facts when in reality many

adults use calculators and computers to solve computational problems. Although

computing basic facts is important, the need to help children develop problem-

solving skills is increasing rapidly. In 1993, the President's National Commission

on Excellence in Education felt more emphasis needed to be put on problem

solving. The Commission recommended that the eight grades leading to high

school should provide a sound basis in computational and problem solving skills.

The Commission also suggested that applying mathematics in everyday situations

should be one of the four areas of mathematics studied in high school. According

to Mikusa (1998), students need to experience problems that are relevant to their

life and may take hours or days to solve.

The National Council of Teachers ofMathematics (NCTM) has recommended

that problem solving be a primary focus of school mathematics in the 1990s. The

1
 2

NCTM stated, "problem solving is essential to the day to day living of every

citizen" (NCTM, 1989, p. 1). Schools need to show children not only how to do

mathematics, but more importantly how to use mathematics in real situations.

With this focus on mathematics and problem solving a redefinition of school

mathematics curricula and instruction has been taking place over the past decade.

Mathematics education is moving away from the outdated and simplistic

behaviorist learning theory that has dictated the course of mathematics teaching

for more than forty years. According to Battista (1988) "all of the major scientific

theories describing students' mathematics learning agree that the students must

personally construct mathematical ideas as they try to make sense of the

situations"(p. 428). With this change in beliefs about how students learn

mathematics, many states are moving away from traditional multiple choice tests

and incorporating tests that use a combination of multiple choice, short answer,

and extended answer questions to assess the students' ability in mathematics.

Currently in Washington State the major focus in mathematics testing is on

open-ended problem solving questions. In 1993 the State of Washington began to

construct new student learning goals called the Essential Academic Leaming

Requirements (EALRs). In 1997 the first test of the ELARs was administered in

the fourth grade and the results showed student scores were extremely low across

the State of Washington. With this new type of testing one of the major areas of
 3

(· concern was mathematics. Students throughout the state were scoring below the

grade level standard in mathematics. In the school district in which the author

teaches, only three fourth grade students out of98 earned a score high enough to

pass the mathematics section of the test (Busey, 1999). Although scores were low

there were still many students who were quite competent at problem solving.

What factor(s) might have enhanced these students' problem-solving abilities?

What made these students better at problem solving than other students?

With these questions in mind, creating a cutTiculum that will enhance students'

abilities in problem solving is a task that has many different possible directions.

Problem solving involves being able to comprehend the problem, creating a

process for solving the problem and calculating numbers correctly to arrive at a

solution. According to Mikusa (1998) the goal of the classroom teacher is to

create opportunities for the students to reason and explore the relationships among

concepts so they will construct knowledge that will allow them to extend what

was lea1ned in lessons in ways that enables them to solve new problems.

Purpose of the Project

The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between students'

reading comprehension level and their ability to solve mathematical open-ended

word problems. The project will focus on the correlation between students'
 4

reading comprehension and problem solving as defined by the EALRs recently

implemented in Washington State. The reason the author chose to look

specifically at word problems was that this is the area on the Washington

Assessment of Student Leaming test where students have the most difficulty. In

addition, recommendations for adjusting and implementing a curriculum are

given.

Significance of the Project

The reason the author chose to look specifically at mathematical open-ended

problem solving is because the school district in which the author is employed is

aligning the mathematics curriculum with the current EALRs. Within the author's

district math scores are low and many people want to know how to increase

students' problem solving abilities so as to increase their state scores. This project

explores whether there is a correlation between students' reading level and their

ability to solve open ended word problems to see if there is a need to adjust the

current curriculum to include a reading comprehension component.

Limitations of the Project

Research in the area of reading comprehension combined with mathematical

problem solving is limited. The project is also limited to one area of mathematics,
 5

problem solving. Another limitation is that this project will focus on one

particular aspect of problem solving, comprehension and solving word problems.

Also, only the problem solving abilities and reading comprehension levels of ninth

grade algebra students will be correlated.

Definition of Terms

The terms used in this project are to clarify the author's meaning.

Word Problem: A quantitative situation involving words in which

mathematical questions are asked, but the operation needed to solve the problem

is not indicated.

Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs): These are the state

standards of achievement for students in the public school system. (Washington

State Commission on Student Learning, 1997)

Reading comprehension level: This is the grade level at which the student can

comprehend the written word.

Overview of the remainder of the project

Chapter Two is a review of relevant literature pertaining to the importance of

problem solving and reading comprehension. Chapter Three describes the

procedures undertaken to develop the project. Chapter Four is the project data
 6

itself: a comparison of reading comprehension levels and problem solving

abilities. Chapter Five consists of a summary, conclusions, and recommendations

by the author.
 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

This chapter will review previous research in problem solving at the secondary

level. The focus of this project is on reading comprehension and basic

mathematical skills and how they correlate with a student's problem solving

abilities. The literature reviewed here deals with mathematical problem solving

and the benefits of reading comprehension abilities.

The Importance of Problem Solving

The need for children to become proficient problem solvers has been a key

issue for educators. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

(1989) has recommended that problem solving be the number one focus of school

mathematics in the 1990s. The NCTM also stated that, "The curriculum needs to

emphasize use of skills, not just computation" (1989, p. 1). The NCTM reported

that the classroom teacher should provide an environment where the student can

practice problem solving. The teacher should select appropriate problems to open

their minds and curiosity, help them to become willing to probe and to try to make

intelligent guesses. The NCTM also suggested that problem solving be taught to

7
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all ages and in all curriculum areas. The NCTM feels that reading in mathematics

is impmiant so children can actively explore, investigate, describe and explain

mathematical ideas.

Bums (1997) agrees with the NCTM in stating, "It would be hard for anyone to

deny that the major responsibility of schools is to help children become effective

problem solvers, preparing them to face the myriad of day to day problems they'll

face as adults" (p. 72).

Bums (1997) stresses that teachers spend too much time on arithmetic and not

enough on application or practical purposes. Teachers need to help students focus

on the meaning involved and not just the answer. Andrews (1999) believes that

the concepts and the relationships involved in a problem are what make it difficult

for most children, not the actual computation. Another problem Andrews sees is

the conception teachers have about mathematics and how it should be taught.

Many teachers were taught in the drill and kill era and that is the only method of

instruction they know. If students are to become effective problem solvers

teachers must change their conceptions about mathematics (Andrews, 1999).

In the real world when most adults are faced with an arithmetic problem they

usually do the computations with a calculator, but how do they approach a

problem if they have not been taught how to solve it? Battista (1999) believes

people need to be able to use their minds as well as their knowledge of

 9

mathematics. People need to see mathematics not as just the simple calculations
(
of numbers, but rather as a tool to be used to reason with real-world situations.

Through understanding problems they will be able to apply their mathematical

knowledge to new unsolved problems as they come across them each day.

Mathematics involves much more than just the basic operations. Students need

to learn to solve problems so they can apply this to their daily lives. Bernardo

(1999) feels learning to solve problems is the principle reason for projecting

mathematics. If educators believe this to be true then they need to focus on

problem solving and how to effectively teach it. In Bernardo's words "the most

basic difficulty students have in solving word problems lies in the ability to

understand the mathematical problem structure that is embedded in the problem

text" (p. 149).

Word problems are an integral component of problem solving. Quinn (1997)

claims word problems are the first step in problem solving. "The child who gains

the knowledge of how to use an operation, together with when to use an operation

is developing the skills needed to become an efficient problem solver" (p. 536).

Quinn also feels that many students fail to realize that word problems are just a

small part of problem solving, understanding the problem and discovering the

equation is the main focus of problem solving.

According to Mikusa (1998) word problems provide a setting for the operation,
 10

practicing the operation, showing pupils mathematics is significant and

emphasizing a relationship of operations. The goal for most students is simply to

get an answer. If they cannot find the correct answer the students feel that it is up

to the teacher to show them the proper way to go about solving the problem.

Mikusa (1998) believes that in order for students to become effective problem

solvers, they must engage problems that may take days for them to solve. This

extended problem solving requires the students to use reflective thinking, which is

critical skill in problem solving. In order for this extended problem solving to

take place traditional ways of teaching mathematics must change and teachers

must begin to instruct students on the techniques used in solving difficult word

problems. Mikusa (1998) feels that teachers need to be more concerned with the

subtle qualitative changes in students rather than the number of problems correctly

completed.

The Essential Academic Learning Requirements

In 1992, the Washington State legislature passed the Education Reform Act.

The legislature created and changed the Commission on Student Learning to

develop statewide student performance standards called the Essential Academic

Learning Requirements (EALRs). The EALRs were based on the Student

Learning Goals of the Gove1nor's Council on Education Reform and Funding.

 11

The EALRs in mathematics contain components, which are necessary for students

to lea111 if they are to become confident and proficient at mathematics. These

components are becoming the framework on which the teachers of Washington

must build their mathematics curriculum. The EALRs in mathematics, as of

September of 1998, are as follows.

1) The student understands and applies the concepts and procedures of

mathematics.

To meet this standard the student will:

a) Understand and apply concepts and procedures from number sense.

b) Understand and apply concepts and procedures from measurement.

c) Understand and apply concepts and procedures from geometric sense.

d) Understand and apply concepts and procedures from probability and

statistics.

e) Understand and apply concepts and procedures from algebraic sense.

2) The student uses mathematics to define and solve problems.

To meet this standard the student will:

a) Investigate situations

b) Formulate questions and define the problem

c) Construct solutions

3) The student uses mathematical reasoning.

 12

To meet this standard the student will:

a) Analyze information

b) Predict results and make inferences

c) Draw conclusions and verify results

4) The student communicates knowledge and understanding in both everyday

and mathematical language.

To meet this standard the student will:

a) Gather information

b) Organize and interpret information

c) Represent and share information

5) The student understands how mathematical ideas connect within

mathematics, to other subject areas, and to real-life situations.

To meet this standard the student will:

a) Relate concepts and procedures within mathematics

b) Relate mathematical concepts and procedures to other disciplines

c) Relate mathematical concepts and procedures to real life situations

(Commission on Student Learning, 1997, p. 22).

The EALRs are designed to help guide schools and parents in giving their

students the knowledge and skills necessary to lead successful lives and contribute

to their family and community. The development of the EALRs started in 1992
 13

and is continually being reviewed and updated to insure that students are being

given the best opportunities possible.

The Importance of Reading Comprehension

Many experts believe that reading comprehension skills are related to problem

solving abilities in mathematics; however Bernardo (1999) points out

mathematical word problems have troubled both students and teachers for

generations. "The most basic difficulty students have in solving word problems

lies in the ability to understand the mathematical problem structure that is

embedded in the problem text" (Bernardo, 1999, p. 149). There have been several

reasons cited for this difficulty. Among the most common are the student does

not understand what the problem is asking, what operations will produce the

answer, and general lack of interest in word problems (Chinnappan, 1996).

Reading and writing have been reported to aid in the development of cognitive

skills. Linn (1987) believes that metacognitive ability is strengthened when the

student views the learning process as active, constructive, cumulative, and goal

oriented. Pugalee (1994) feels that reading and writing helps build thinking skills

for mathematics students as they become accustomed to reflecting and

synthesizing as parts of the normal sequence involved in communicating

mathematics. This skill of reflective thinking is a vital part of creating

 14

mathematical problem solving abilities in students. The Three Level reading

guide has been used and recommended by teachers and researchers for over two

decades. According to Conley and Savage (1995) a Three Level Reading guide

contains declarative statements written to require student responses at the literal,

interpretive, and applied levels of comprehension. At the literal level, students

place checks next to the statements that are explicit in the text. Statements at the

interpretive level are checked if they could be supported by implicit relationships

among explicit text statements. At the applied level, students are encouraged to

integrate the new literal and interpretive infmmation with their own prior

knowledge. By building reading comprehension skills students have the

opportunity to become independent problem solvers, which should be the goal of

all mathematics teachers (McIntosh, 1997).

Students often believe that mathematics involves only numbers and abstract

symbols. According to Fuentes (1998) "students often forget that mathematics

involves natural thought and language processes as well numbers and symbols"

(p. 81 ). Fuentes believes teaching students the language of mathematics and how

to reflect on previous work, the student will help them develop a well-rounded

concept of what mathematics is all about. Fuentes also believes that all students

want to be successful. The main problem is educators are neglecting the students'

needs by not giving them the tools to become successful problem solvers.
 15

Teachers often find themselves teaching their subjects with no recognition that

attention to comprehension would enhance the students leaining. One way that

Fuentes suggests mathematics teachers can promote reading comprehension is by

opening up the channels of communication in the classroom beyond the written

channel. Teachers should encourage students to openly share ideas and learn

concepts by reading, writing, talking, exploring and talking together (Fuentes,

1998).

Krussel (1998) feels the first step in teaching students how to solve word

problems is to make them feel secure about their mathematic abilities. Krussel

states "It is important to get across to students that a problem is a situation that

they do not know the answer to. Therefore it is 0.K. to not know the answer, or it

isn't a problem" (p. 43 7). If students can understand this view of a word problem

then the teacher can help them to feel secure in trying to solve word problems.

After students are comfortable with their problem solving abilities Krussel (1998)

believes students should be taught to view mathematics as a separate language.

Krussel states, "reading and speaking mathematically differ from reading and

speaking English prose because mathematics has a special logic and syntax" (p.

438). If teachers instruct students how to read the language of mathematics,

problem solving then becomes an issue of comprehension and calculation. If

students are to become proficient in reading the language of mathematics Krussel

 16

feels that teachers must encourage, if not require, the students to use the

tenninology found in mathematics.

Along with being able to read mathematics Wakefield (1997) believes students

also need the opportunities to mimic and practice relevant mathematic problems.

Wakefield maintains, "the teacher who wishes to develop his students to solve

word problems, must instill some interest into their minds and give them plenty of

opportunity for imitation and practice" (p. 233). Interest and practice are very

important in teaching a child how to solve word problems. The more practice

students' have reading, comprehending and solving word problems, the more

confidence they will develop in this area of mathematics (Wakefield, 1997).

Chinnappan and Lawson (1999) maintain "students fail to activate and use

mathematical knowledge during problem solving, when it is known that they

possess the required knowledge" (p. 140). Much of what a student learns in a

mathematics classroom is the process in which to use when faced with a particular

problem. This process is well known by the student, but when and how to apply it

is the student's major difficulty. Chinnappan and Lawson believe one of the

reasons students do not access knowledge they possess is because they do not

understand the problem they are faced with. One of the solutions they give to

combat this problem of understanding is to work on reading comprehension of

mathematics (Chinnappan & Lawson, 1999).

 17

Manning (1999) also believes one of the major reasons for not understanding a

word problem is lack of reading skills (p. 85). In a mathematics word problem,

students need to understand the meaning of each word within the problem. Word

problems involve the simultaneous act of using two separate language systems,

both requiring thinking. Manning (1999) believes word problems necessitate

reading while at the same time thinking abstractly about mathematics. Manning

also believes that one of the best ways to get students to think is by asking them

questions and having them defend their view points with logical arguments.

Another reason that students do not understand word problems is the lack of

understanding of mathematical terminology. The students do not regularly use the

vocabulary used in the word problems and they do not know what the words mean

(Fuentes, 1998). When solving word problems students must extract the required

information from the reading and use this information to solve a word problem.

The student needs to be able to state what is happening, discover what is given,

eliminate the extra information, find any hidden information, and realize what is

wanted in order to solve the problem (Ostler, 1997). Once the student can

understand the meaning of the words, he or she can then work on understanding

the question and what operation to use.

 18

Summary

Researchers and educators alike feel that mathematics education is changing

rapidly. Mathematics involves much more than just the basic operations.

Students are now being required to use problem solving skills, rather than

completing simple mathematical operations. Experts believe that in order for

students to be successful in life they need to learn to solve problems so they can

apply this to their daily lives.

With today's changing world students now need more problem solving skills

than ever before. Because of these changes many states are changing the way

students are tested. In Washington State the EALRs were created and every

student is tested on these new state standards. A higher standard for the students

means a change in the current curriculum. These changes in curriculum should

help students as they work towards meeting the Washington state EALRs.

With the need for changing the mathematics curriculum, teachers are now

finding that techniques used in other cunicular areas are becoming valuable tools

in the mathematics classroom. Many experts believe that teaching reading

comprehension skills in mathematics can enhance students' learning in

mathematics. The strategies that other subject areas are using to stimulate thought

in students, needs to be incorporated into the mathematics CU1Ticulum.

 CHAPTER THREE

PROCEDURES

Introduction

The project originated because of the author's desire to enhance his student's

mathematical performance on the new Washington Essential Academic Learning

Requirements (EALRs). The school district in which the author is employed is

currently aligning its curriculum with the new EALRs. The need to align the

curriculum with the EALRs arose after low student test scores were reported on

the first state test. Many people in the author's district believe one of the reasons

for the low test scores in mathematics is because of the inability of the students to

comprehend the word problems on the Washington Assessment of Student

Learning test (WASL). While trying to align the mathematics curriculum many

questions arose about what changes should be made in the curriculum to help

meet the needs of students. Because of these questions the author decided to

conduct a small project that correlated reading comprehension levels with problem

solving scores. It was hypothesized, for the purposes of this project, that the

reading comprehension level of a student would not correlate with their

mathematics score on a sample WASL test. A project was conducted to test this

hypothesis. With the information gathered from this project the author will make

19
 20

,· recommendations to the district about what adjustments need to be made to better

serve our students in the area of mathematics.

Subjects

The project included twenty students randomly selected from the high school's

freshman class. After the subjects were selected the author, to see if they would

participate in the project, contacted them. Only two of the original twenty

subjects declined to participate. Two replacement subjects were obtained through

the same random selection process.

Testing Instruments and Procedures

After the selection process each student was tested in reading comprehension

and mathematical problem solving. The testing instruments used were the

Woodcock-Johnson reading test (Woodcock, 1989) and a problem-solving test

produced by Washington State. The problem-solving test is a sample test

composed of questions (See Appendix B) typical of those on the Washington

Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test (Commission on Student Learning,

1999). In addition, approval for the project was obtained from the superintendent

and a parent/student permission letter (See Appendix A) was approved by the

principal and sent home with each participating student. Upon receiving the
 21

permission letter a phone call to the parents or guardian of the participating

student was placed to verify the permission verbally.

The Woodcock-Johnson test is a series of questions given to a student in a one-

on-one setting. This test is widely used by special education and general

education professionals to determine the reading grade levels of students. The

procedure for administering this test is as follows: The proctor gives the student a

question, and then based on the student's response another question is selected

and given. This process continues until an accurate assessment of the student's

reading comprehension level is obtained. After the student's reading grade level

is determined he or she takes the problem-solving test.

The problem-solving test to be used in this project is a sample test given to

many school districts to help prepare teachers and students for the types oftest

questions they will encounter. This sample test comes with scoring rubrics,

answer keys, and anchor papers to be used to compare sample student answers

with actual student answers (Commission on Student Learning, 1999) (See

Appendix B).

Each student involved in the project was given the Woodcock-Johnson test

first. The test was given in the author's classroom after the regular school day had

ended. After all of the students had been tested for their reading comprehension

level the problem-solving portion of the test was administered. The problem-
 22

solving test was given in several small groups on scheduled days after the regular

school day ended. The mathematics tests were then scored and then organized by

student identification number. After the data were organized several attempts to

correlate the scores were made using different con-elation techniques found in the

book, Educational Research (Gay, 1996). The first two methods were the Chi-

Square and T-test. These instruments were unsuccessful because the data

collected on the reading and mathematics test were not similar in nature (p. 328).

The next instrument used to find the con-elation coefficient was the Spearman rho.

This instrument was discarded because the resulting con-elation coefficient was

not as accurate with small groups of subjects (less than 30) (p. 302). Finally a

con-elation of the scores was conducted using the Pearson r con-elation method.

The reason the Pearson r was used is because it is the most appropriate measure of

correlation when sets of data to be correlated represent either interval or ratio

scales (p. 302). The Pearson r con-elation is the ratio of the degree of variation of

X and Y together to the degree of the separate variation ofX and Y. In lay terms

this instrument is based on a scatter plot and linear regression analysis. The data

were then displayed using a scatter plot. A linear regression was used to see if

any relationship existed between the students' reading comprehension level and

their problem-solving abilities.

 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS OF THE PROJECT

Purpose of the Project

The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between students'

reading comprehension level and their ability to correctly answer Washington

Assessment of Student Leaming (WASL) math test questions. The project

focuses on the correlation between students' reading comprehension and problem

solving as defined by the Essential Academic Leaming Requirements (EALRs)

recently implemented in Washington State. The reason the author chose to look

specifically at word problems was that this is the area on the WASL test where

students within the author's school district have the most difficulty (Busey, 1999).

Subjects

The subjects for this project were high school freshman. Chronological ages

ranged from 14 to 15 years old. All subjects were randomly selected from the

official high school class roster. All students were given a permission form to

have their parents sign and upon its return a phone call to the parents was made by

the author to confirm the participation of the student. The permission form used

for this project was created by the author and approved by the building principal.

23
 24

Overview of the Project

The project consists of administering and scoring two tests given to ninth grade

students. The first test given is the Woodcock-Johnson reading comprehension

test. This test determines at what grade level the students comprehend written

material. The second test is a mathematics problem-solving test consisting of a

combination of multiple choice, short answer, and extended response questions.

This test was developed using sample questions from the WASL test provided by

the Commission on Student Learning (1999) (See Appendix B). After the tests

were scored several statistical analysis instruments, from the book, Educational

Research, were reviewed (Gay, 1996). The Chi-Square, T-test, Spearman rho, and

Pearson r were the instruments used in an attempt to find the correlation

coefficient. The final correlation of scores was conducted using the Pearson r

correlation method. This method was used to c01Telate reading comprehension

level and mathematic percentage scores. Correlations of these scores were

conducted for each level of difficulty in mathematics questions, multiple choice,

short answer, extended response, and total mathematics score. The Pearson r

method is widely used in educational research because most of the information

collected deal with interval or ratio scale data, such as standardized-tests (p. 303).

The Pearson r was used because it was the most appropriate method for the data

collected in this project.

 25

Author Preparation

A special education teacher within the school district trained the author in the

proper methods for administering the Woodcock-Johnson reading comprehension

test. In addition the author observed and participated in five actual testing

procedures with that special education teacher.

In preparation for the scoring of the mathematics portion of the project the

author attended three seminars within the past year that dealt directly with the

issue of scoring the WASL mathematics questions.

Testing Procedures

The Woodcock-Johnson test was conducted in a one-on-one situation between

the author and the student. Each student scheduled a convenient time to meet with

the author and be given the reading test. The procedure for administering this test

is as follows: The proctor gives the student a question, and then based on the

student's response another question is selected and given. This process continues

until an accurate assessment of the student's reading comprehension level is

obtained. After the student's reading grade level is determined he or she takes the

problem-solving test.

The procedure for administering the sample WASL mathematics test was in

several small groups after the regular school day had ended. The problem-solving
 26

test to be used in this project is a sample test given to many school districts to help

prepare teachers and students for the types of test questions they will encounter.

This sample test comes with scoring rubrics, answer keys, and anchor papers to be

used to compare sample student answers with actual student answers

(Commission on Student Leaming, 1999) (See appendix A).

Results of the proiect

After the tests were cmTected the students' reading scores and math scores

were correlated using a Pearson r (r-value) or a scatter plot and linear regression

analysis to see if any relationship existed between the students' reading

comprehension level and their problem solving abilities. The correlation of

reading comprehension level and mathematics scores was done at four different

levels. The first correlation is between reading comprehension level and

multiple choice mathematics questions (see Table 1/Chart 1). When data were

analyzed an r-value of0.7486053 was obtained. This r-value shows a moderate

relationship between a student's reading grade level and his or her mathematics

score. The second correlation is between reading comprehension level and a short

answer mathematics question (see Table 2/Chart 2). When data were analyzed an

r-value of0.7660976 was obtained. This r-value also shows a moderate

relationship between the two scores. The third correlation is between reading
 27

comprehension level and extended answer mathematics questions (see Table

3/Chart 3). When data were analyzed an r-value of0.888125 was obtained. This

r-value shows a stronger relationship between the two scores than the previous

correlations. Finally, the fourth correlation was between the students reading

comprehension level and his or her total score on the mathematics test (see Table

4/Chart 4). When data were analyzed an r-value of0.923796 was obtained. This

r-value shows a strong correlation between reading comprehension level and

mathematics scores. The null hypothesis stated that reading comprehension level

would not correlate with their mathematics score on a sample WASL mathematics

test. The increase in Pearson r-values and the final Pearson r-value of 0.923796 is

substantial enough to accept the null hypothesis.

 28

Table 1: Reading grade level and Multiple Choice scores

Student Readina Multiole choice

Grade level 5 ooints possible %

1 9.3 5 100%

2 9.8 5 100%

3 11 5 100%

4 9.6 5 100%

5 8.8 4 80%

6 7.9 3 60%

7 9.7 5 100%

8 9 4 80%

9 9.3 5 100%

10 9.1 4 80%

11 8.3 4 80%

12 8.5 4 80%

13 11.3 5 100%

14 12.4 5 100%

15 10 5 100%

16 10.6 5 100%

17 9.4 4 80%

18 9.9 5 100%

19 9.1 4 80%

20 8.1 3 60%

r= 0.748605398
 29

( Chart 1: Reading grade level and Multiple-choice scores

Multiple Choice

!- Linear (r = 0. 748605398) !
...
- - ~ 100
-- -- --
~ .... ~" "" • ....
"'
~

90 1.....-
Ill""'
~
~
Ii"""
~ .... ....
80 - -
~

~ "'
~
II"""

70
.,,
...0
Q)

60
Q

.,,
II)

C ......as
Q
50
aQ)

...as
.cl
40
:s
30

20

10

0
7.5 8 .5 9 .5 10.5 11.5 12.5
Reading grade level
 30

Table 2: Reading grade level and Short Answer scores

Student Readina Short answer

Grade level 3 paints possible %

1 9.3 3 100%

2 9.8 3 100%

3 11 3 100%

4 9.6 3 100%

5 8.8 2 67%

6 7.9 1 33%

7 9.7 3 100%

8 9 2 67%

9 9.3 3 100%

10 9.1 2 67%

11 8.3 1 33%

12 8.5 1 33%

13 11.3 3 100%

14 12.4 3 100%

15 10 3 100%

16 10.6 3 100%

17 9.4 2 67%

18 9.9 3 100%

19 9.1 2 67%

20 8.1 1 33%

r= 0.766097609
 31

( Chart 2: Reading grade level and Short Answer scores

Short Answer

I- Linear (r =O. 766097609) I

100 -
-- -- -- - ....- -- ........
95 .11
~
V
90
85 l/"
80
75 ~
,JI
~/'
70

ti)
65 ~
If'
'-'~•
...0
G)
60 ~

~ I/"
C ti)
0
55
)I
~ 50
as
a
G)

~
45 "
as 40
:s 35
~ ~ l ~ ~ ~ I~

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
7.5 8.5 9.5 10.5 11.5 12.5
Reading grade level

C
 32

Table 3: Reading grade level and Extended response scores

Student Readina Extended Resnonse

Grade level 4 noints nossible %

1 9.3 1 25%

2 9.8 2 50%

3 11 4 100%

4 9.6 2 50%

5 8.8 1 25%

6 7.9 1 25%

7 9.7 2 50%

8 9 1 25%

9 9.3 1 25%

10 9.1 1 25%

11 8.3 1 25%

12 8.5 1 25%

13 11.3 4 100%

14 12.4 4 100%

15 10 2 50%

16 10.6 3 75%

17 9.4 1 25%

18 9.9 1 25%

19 9.1 1 25%

20 8.1 1 25%

r= 0.888125988
 33

C Chart 3: Reading grade level and Extended response scores

Ex tended Response

j- Linear (r =0.888125988) j
100 - ..... .....
.... ...,. I•

95 V
90
85 ,
J
,~v
80 ,j
75 ..... )
....
j"
70

{ft
65 I
4)
k
0 60 I
C>
fl)
fl)
55 V
........C>
aS
a
50
45
~

-
..ii
,(
~

....
4)
..cl
....aS
:s
40
"
"
J

35 ,,)
)
30
25
20
15
V
'
I
-
~

.... .....
-

10 ,~v
5
0
7.5 8 .5 9.5 10. 5 11.5 12.5
Reading grade level
C
 34

Table 4: Reading grade level and Total mathematics score

Student Readina Total Score

Grade level 12 ooints nossible %

1 9.3 9 75%

2 9.8 10 83%

3 11 12 100%

4 9.6 10 83%

5 8.8 7 58%

6 7.9 5 42%

7 9.7 10 83%

8 9 7 58%

9 9.3 9 75%

10 9.1 7 58%

11 8.3 6 50%

12 8.5 6 50%

13 11.3 12 100%

14 12.4 12 100%

15 10 10 83%

16 10.6 11 92%

17 9.4 7 58%

18 9.9 9 75%

19 9.1 7 58%

20 8.1 5 42%

r= 0.923795902
 35

( Chart 4: Reading grade level and Total mathematics score

Total Mathematics score

- Linear (r =0.923795902)

100 --
,_ ....
- .... ~ . -
..
''"'-
95 V
V
90 •/ I/
85 , ~

80 • V• /
~

75 ~

Iii"'
70 V
V
~
65
...0
G,) /~
60
CJ
II)
VI 55 /
~ •• •
....+'CJ /
as 50 ,
a
G,) 45 l/
~
+' ~• 0
as 40
:s
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
7 .5 8 .5 9 .5 10.5 11.5 12.5
Reading grade level

C
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, LIMITATIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This project was conducted to examine the relationship between students'

reading comprehension level and their ability to solve Washington Assessment of

Student Learning (WASL) math test questions. This area of open-ended word

problems on the WASL test is where students in the author's school district have

the most difficulty. The reason the author chose to look specifically at

mathematical open-ended problem solving is because the school district in which

the author is employed is aligning the mathematics curriculum with the current

Essential Academic Leaming Requirements (EALRs). Within the author's district

student math scores are low and many people want to know how to increase

students' problem solving abilities so as to increase their state scores. This project

explored whether there is a correlation between students' reading level and their

ability to solve open ended word problems to see if there is a need to adjust the

current mathematics curriculum to include a reading comprehension component.

The project focused on the correlation between students' reading comprehension

grade level and problem solving as defined by the EALRs recently implemented

in Washington State.

36
 37

An analysis between reading grade level and mathematics problem-solving

scores was conducted at four different levels. The four levels of correlation were

between reading grade level and scores of mathematics questions of varying

complexity. In addition a correlation between reading comprehension grade level

and total mathematics test score was completed. The mathematics test consisted

of five multiple-choice questions, one short answer question, and one extended

response question. An analysis of the results of the correlations indicates that a

student's reading comprehension level does correlate with their ability to correctly

answer problem-solving questions on the WASL test (See Appendix B).

Limitations of the Project

The limitations of the project indicate that further research is needed. Some

of the limitations that discredit any firm conclusions are as follows. The size of

the project was limited to only twenty students. Although these subjects were

randomly chosen, a larger sample size would have increased the validity of the

results. Also, only one grade level of students was chosen and from only one

school district. Another limitation would be the size of the mathematics test,

which only contained five multiple-choice questions, one short answer question

and one extended response question. The total possible score on this mathematics

test was twelve. A limited number of mathematic questions results in an

 38

intensified variance between student percentage scores obtained. In addition the

reading grade level scores could also be inaccurate. This possibility exists

because the author is not certified to administer and score this test. Finally, the

last possible limitation could be researcher bias. Because the researcher is in

contact with most of the subjects on a daily basis and has formed a personal

relationship, bias in scoring the short answer and extended response questions

might be possible. Also, bias on the part of the researcher may exist because the

researcher conducted the study personally with little outside help.

Conclusions

The results of the project show that there is clearly a relationship between

reading comprehension level and the ability to correctly answer sample WASL

mathematics problem-solving questions. Correlations of these scores were

conducted at each level of difficulty of mathematics questions. The difficulty

levels were multiple-choice questions, a short answer question, and an extended

response question. In addition a correlation of reading comprehension level and

total mathematics score was conducted. An analysis of the Pearson r-values

shows an increase from 0.748605398 for multiple choice questions to

0.923795902 for total mathematics score.

The Pearson r-values indicate the rejection of the null hypothesis. The
 39

limitations of the project, however, preclude drawing firm conclusions about the

correlation of student reading comprehension level and his or her ability to

correctly answer mathematic problem-solving questions. Although the results are

positive, limitations of this project indicate the need for further research in this

area.

Recommendations

Since the data clearly show a correlation between reading comprehension

grade level and mathematics test scores, but the limitations of the project detract

from drawing any firm conclusions, further research in this area is indicated. The

author will recommend to his district superintendent that a continuation of this

study be done on a larger scale.

This new study would include testing a random sample of fifty students from

each of the fourth, seventh, and tenth grades in mathematics and reading

comprehension level. The subjects would be tested for their reading

comprehension level in the winter semester, by people certified too administer and

score the Woodcock-Johnson test. The subjects would then take the WASL test in

the spring. The scores would be correlated using the Pearson r method in the fall

when the school district receives the WASL results. The reading level of each

student should be correlated with each section of the WASL test, multiple choice,
 40

short answer, and extended response. Data gathered from this study could be used

to make more substantiated recommendations to the current mathematics

curriculum in the author's district. The one drawback to this type of study is

obtaining WASL mathematics test score breakdowns for each student would be

almost impossible to accomplish.

Because the individual student scores of the WASL test are so difficult to

obtain a study that would correlate the overall WASL reading and mathematics

test scores with each other might be more feasible. These scores are provided to

all school districts in the fall of every school year. The data delivered are a

description of how each student scored on each section of the WASL test. These

descriptions are only overall scores of each section and not detailed analysis of

how students scored on individual sections. This data would be interesting to

review to see if scoring well on the reading section of the test correlates with

scoring well on the mathematics section of the test.

In addition to correlating reading comprehension level scores with WASL

mathematics scores a recommendation will be made to study the correlation of

writing competency scores and WASL mathematic scores. In this project some of

the students may have discovered the correct answer to the short answer or

extended response question, but lacked the skills to communicate their thoughts in
 41

written form. A detailed study could prove that a combination of reading and

writing instruction would improve WASL mathematics scores.

Finally, a recommendation to increase the amount of reading of mathematics

material in the classroom will be given to the author's school district staff.

Students should be expected to read and respond to articles, word problems, and

other written material using mathematical terminology.

Adjustments to the current district curriculum would be as follows. Students in

the lower grades, kindergarten through second grade, will be required to maintain

a vocabulary journal in addition to their daily mathematics assignments. This

journal will include new terms that the students encounter and need to define. In

grade levels three through eight a journal should also be kept and these new terms

should be discussed and used in response to simple word problems that the

students address in their daily work. Adjustments to the high school curriculum

should include: A journal of new terms, written responses to articles on

mathematics, and an increased number of word problems in their daily work in

addition to the standard drill and practice lessons currently used. If the results of

this project are any indication of what our students lack in the area of

mathematics, a different approach to the way we teach mathematics needs to be

implemented if our students are to be successful in this area.

 REFERENCES

Andrews, P. (1999). A new look at secondary teachers' conceptions of

mathematics and its teaching. British Educational Research Journal. 25, 203-223.

Battista, M. (1999). The mathematical miseducation of America's youth. Phi

Delta Kappan, 80, 424-433.

Bernardo, A. (1999). Overcoming obstacles in understanding and solving

word problems in mathematics. Educational Psychology, 19, 149-163.

Burns, M. (1997). Finding multiple ways to salve a problem. Instructor, 107,

72-73.

Busey, J. (1999). Personal interview.

Chinnappan, M., Lawson, M. (1996). Student difficulties with accessing and

using mathematical knowledge. School Science and Mathematics, 96, 140-156.

Commission on Student Leaming. (1997). Essential academic learning

requirements and components. Olympia, WA: Office of Superintendent of Public

Instruction.

Commission on Student Leaming. (1999). Washington assessment of student

learning example test, grade 10. Olympia, WA: Office of Superintendent of

Public Instruction.

42
 43

Fuentes, P. (1998). Reading comprehension in mathematics. The Clearing

House, 72, 81-88.

Gay, L. (1996). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and

application. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Inc.

Krussel, L. (1998). Teaching the language of mathematics. The Mathematics

Teacher, 91, 436-441.

Manning, M. (1999). Building reading skills in math. Teaching Pre K-8. 29,

85-86.

McIntosh, M. E. (1997). Guide students to better comprehension of word

problems. The Clearing House, 71, 26-32.

Mikusa, M. G. (1998). Problem solving is more than solving problems.

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 4, 20-25.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1989). Curriculum and

evaluations standards for mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

Ostler, E. ( 1997). The effect of learning mathematical reading strategies on

secondary students'. The Clearing House, 71, 37-40.

Pugalee, D. (1997). Connecting writing to the mathematics curriculum. The

Mathematics Teacher, 90, 308-310.

Quinn, C. (1997). Problem solving does not have to be a problem. The

Mathematics Teacher, 90, 536-542.

 44

Wakefield, A. P. (1997). Supporting math thinking. Phi Delta Kappan, 79,

233-236.

Woodcock, R., (1989). Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational battery

(Rev. ed.). Riverside Publishing.

44
APPENDIX A

45
 ZILLAH HIGH SCHOOL
PERMISSION FORM

Dear parents/guardians,
My name is Darren Cooper and I am one of the mathematics teachers at Zillah
High School. I am currently em·olled in a masters degree program through Central
Washington University. One of the requirements of this program is to complete a
master's project. The project I have undertaken is a study that will compare ninth
grade student's reading abilities and their problem solving abilities. The reason I
have chosen to do this study is because of the new state test that all tenth grade
students are required to take. The scores in our district are some of the highest in
the area. Even so, mathematics scores are lower than we would like them to be.
My goal is to see if a student's reading ability has any correlation with their ability
to correctly answer mathematics questions. In order to find out this information I
need your permission to test your child's reading comprehension level and
mathematics abilities. Your child has been selected randomly from a list of ninth
grade students.
I will administer the reading test, in a one-on-one situation. It should take
about thirty minutes. The problem-solving test will be given in several small
groups and should only take approximately forty-five minutes.
Both of these tests will be given after school. All of the test scores will be kept
confidential. The scores on these tests will not affect their current grades in any
mathematics class. These scores are for the sole purpose of discovering if reading
comprehension level has any effect on correctly answering mathematics questions.
I hope you will give your consent for your child to participate in this project.

Sincerely,
Darren Cooper
Zillah High School
Mathematics Department

Parent/Guardian signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Date _ _ _ __

Phone# -'-------''------------------

Student signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Date_ _ _ __

APPENDIXB

47
 Example Test
I !I El I II
Mathematics

1 Three of the four statements below are equivalent. Which of these

statements is not equivalent to the other three?

A_C
OA. B-D
B_D
OB. c-A
D_C
0 C. B-A
B_D
OD. A-C

2 Naomi is a travel agent. She receives a commission of 5% for each ticket she
sells. How much would her commission be from the sale of 6 airline tickets
for $250 each?

0 A. $150.00
0 B. $125.00
0 C. $75.00

0 D. $12.50

62
Goon,....
 Example Test

Mathematics

3 Jacinda wants to use the idea of similar triangles to find the height of the
pine tree in her backyard. She starts at the base of the pine tree (point D in
the diagram below) and measures the distance to the tip of the tree's shadow
(point A). At point B, Jacinda places a 7i-foot pole, which casts a 10-foot
shadow in the same light.

AL-_ _.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
10ft B D

60 ft

What relationship should Jacinda use to find the height of the pine tree?

0 A. AB is to BC as BD is to DE.
- - -
0 B. AB is to AC as AD is to CE.
0 C. BC is to DE as AB is toBD.
- -
0 D. BC is to AB as DE is to AD.

63
Goon .....
 Example Test
Ii!
Mathematics

4 A friend calls you for help with the given transformation. Describe in
detail how you would produce figure B, from figure A, using only verbal
clues. The following terms may be useful in your explanation.

translate or slide
reflect or flip
rotate or turn

20

18 .....!......
____j
! ...... j..... f. J. J i. ! L)._l lt_(i /_Ji l-!---!--!-J
!._

-i ...
1 ilI ! ! I
16

14

12

10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

64
Goon ....
 Example Test

Mathematics

Use the graph below to answer questions 5 and 6.

Favorite Sports of a Sample of 10th Grade Students
at Lincoln High School

Key
.....·:::
".
.. ":... [SJ Basketball

/}\t{+\:.
::: : 22.5%:::::::.
EEB soccer

-~~\\\\/~::::i.":.·:: . . ,,.v-,,,,r,r'>,rl D. Volleyball

······· II
,.
Swimming

15%
D Other Sports

5 The students in Mr. Chan's class surveyed an additional 120 Lincoln High
School tenth-graders. How many of these students would you expect to
choose volleyball as their favorite sport?

0 A. 19
0 B. 23

0 C. 27

0 D. 45

6 Which conclusion can be drawn from the graph above?

0 A. The swim team has fewer members than the soccer team.
0 B. More tenth-grade students chose volleyball than soccer.
0 C. Basketball is the favorite sport among all students at Lincoln
High School.
0 D. Swimming is the least favorite sport among tenth-grade
students at Lincoln High School

65
Goon~
 Example Test

Mathematics

7 Production workers at a local business are dissatisfied with their pay. The
owner of the business doesn't want to increase the workers' pay. Both sides
place the following ads, (which are true), in the local newspaper to gain
public support for their position.

XYZ Corporation Underpays Highest Average Salary

Production Workers in Entire County

The records show that 80% of the Wouldn't you like to earn $16,000
employees of XYZ earn the same per year? That's the average
low yearly salary. These are all salary of all 50 of us who work at
production workers. Together, they XYZ Corp.- myself included. And
earn only 50% of the total XYZ it's tops in the county for
payroll. production workers.
Meanwhile, owner Keene earns 10 I make only 5% more than my
times as much as each of these best-paid production worker. And
workers. my salary accounts for only 12.5%
It is easy to see that the of our total payroll.
production workers are underpaid. Signed,
Thanks for your support of our J.M. Keene
upcoming action. (owner XYZ)

Since both ads are truthful, analyze the information in these two ads, and
explain four logical interpretations or conclusions you can make about the
salaries from the combined information. Clearly show how you arrived at
each statement.

-·- ..·---·-··--·-·..·-·--·---·----·--··---·-------·-·..··-------·-·-·..-·-·---··---·..........---·-···--.................

··-··-·--·--·-·-----..·----·--·--··-·-·-·-·------·-··--·--·-----..--··-..··-·-·--·-------··..··-·······-·····-····

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

66
Goon~
 Example Test

Mathematics

( Additional work space

67
GoOn~