Story Problem Solving: Implications of Research for Teaching Children with Learning Disabilities. Technical Report # 12.

A theoretical explanation of him children process story problems, and an organized series of empirical suggestions on how to teach story problem solving, has been slow to emerge in American psychological literature. Consideration of Soviet studies in mathematical instruction expands both the knowledge base and the potential'instructional recommendations. In this article, the authors draw upon both Soviet and American literature to present an overview of the components of story problem solving. Factors within the individual problem solver are,ex--plored, and strategies children use in solving problemg are examined. Particular attention is paid to analytic and intuitive strategies, and to how the child attempts to make the transition from concrete to symbolic problems. The most widely'supported instructional principles are reviewed. The phenomenon that children who present correct oralssolutions frequently err when writing the answers is examined. The article concludes with a review of how studies cited may contribute to an improved methodology for researching story problem solving.