Improving problem-solving skills through text comprehension-focused training: Who benefits most?

Text comprehension plays a crucial role in Word-Problem Solving (WPS), a factor which is, itself, dependent on children socioeconomic status (SES). In the present research, we test an intervention aimed at improving WPS by focusing on understanding problem texts. We subjected 1161 children in Grade 3, 4, and 5 from both disadvantaged (D) and non-disadvantaged (ND) schools to an initial comprehension test and a WPS pre-test. These students were then divided into three groups (Weak, Average, Strong) according to their performance on the initial comprehension test. All students then received WPS instruction over several weeks, either via the comprehension-focused protocol in the experimental group (EG) or the traditional approach in the active control group (ACG). Post-training assessments revealed that students of the EG outperformed those of the ACG, supporting that comprehension-focused training was effective in increasing WPS skills. This positive effect was not moderated by school SES, but was moderated by students’ initial level of comprehension: Those with lower initial comprehension benefitted the most from the intervention. Taken together, these results support the relevance of comprehension skills in WPS success.