Schema Based Instruction in Math
Additive and Multiplicative Schemas
Please join the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's Training and Consultation team for this IN-PERSON training.
Solving mathematical word problems is an ongoing problem for students with both reading and math learning disabilities, as well as students who do not have an identified learning disability. Schema-based instruction is a problem-solving strategy that emphasizes identifying the underlying structure or schema to create a visual representation of the important information in order to be able to solve the problem.
Additive schemas are problem-solving structures that involve combining, comparing, or separating quantities using addition and subtraction. Common types include Part-Part-Total, Compare, and Change situations, each emphasizing how quantities are related through an additive relationship. Multiplicative schemas are problem-solving structures that involve relationships between quantities using multiplication or division. These include Equal Groups, Comparison, and Proportional situations, where one quantity is a multiple or a fraction of another.