Teaching High School Students With Learning Disabilities to Use Model Drawing Strategy to Solve Fraction and Percentage Word Problems MINYI SHIH DENNIS, ' JACQUELINE KNIGHT,' and OLGA JERMAN 'Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA Frostig School, Pasadena, CA, USA 'PRO-ED, Inc., Austin, TX, USA This article describes how to teach fraction and percentage word problems using a model-drawing strategy. This cognitive strategy places emphasis on explicitly teaching students how to draw a schematic diagram to represent the qualitative relations described in the problem, and how to formulate the solution based on the schematic diagram. The step-by-step procedures for using the model- drawing strategy are described. In addition, the results of an action research study applying the model-drawing strategy with high school students who have learning disabilities are reported. Keywords cognitive strategy, fractions, learning disabilities, mathematics, percentages, word problem solving Mathematical word problem refers to a mathematics exercise in problem solving happen to map onto the cognitive process- presented in text in which a clearly defined problem situation ing deficits that often affect this group of students (e.g., Fuchs and quantitative data are provided. To solve a word problem, et al., 2006). For example, research has clearly shown that the problem solver needs to extract semantic meaning from reading comprehension and word problem solving are the text, find the mathematical relations between the quanti- strongly related (Boonen, van der Schoot, van Wesel, de tative data, and use mathematical equations to solve the Vries, & Jolles, 2013; Vilenius- Tuohimaa, Aunola, & Nurm, problem. Because solving word problems requires higher 2008), Because a significant number of students with LD order skills, including the ability to flexibly analyze problem encounter difficulties in reading comprehension, they may situation and construct mathematical solutions (Verschaffel, experience greater difficulty understanding word problems. Greer, & De Corte, 2000), it complies with the norm of ana- In addition, after comprehending the problem, the stu- lytic scientific reasoning in the field of mathematics, natural dents need to form a mental model of the problem situation sciences, and engineering-all of which are considered foun- and analyze information on the basis of that model (Hegarty dations of a nation's economic power and the country's secu- & Kozhevnikov, 1999; Lesh & Harel, 2003; van Garderen, rity (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). 2006). Modeling the problem situation requires arranging Consequently, mathematical word problem solving has information described in the word problem and constructing become a key theme in the mathematics reform movement mental representations of the problem situation. The ability (e.g., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Princi- to generate mental representations of the problem situation ples and Standards for School Mathematics, 2000) and, there- affects the likelihood of successful word problem solving fore, plays a significant role in mathematics curriculum (c.g., because mathematical solutions usually are derived from the Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010). mental representations (Jonassen, 2003). Prior research has Despite the increasing emphasis on word problem solving shown that students with LD are less likely to form mental