Word Problem Worries? Know What to Expect on State Tests and How to Support Students

In this presentation, we describe word-problem types and features that appear on U.S. state test items in Grades 3–5. We then address best practices for supporting students with math difficulty to meet the demands of word problems on state tests. Participants will be able to: 1. Identify how frequently different word-problem schemas appear in state test items in Grades 3, 4, and 5. 2. Identify word-problem features that appear in state test items, including irrelevant information, figures, graphs, and tables. 3. Make informed instructional decisions when implementing word-problem intervention, including emphasizing the Equal Groups schema, irrelevant information, figures, graphs, and tables.