Does Reading Comprehension Competence Determine Level of Solving Mathematical Word Problems Competence? Daris Hadianto, Vismaia S. Damaianti, Yeti Mulyati, Andoyo Sastromiharjo
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the interaction between problem solving skills in mathematical words and reading comprehension. The method used is correlational by linking reading comprehension competence and ability to solve mathematical word problems. Participants were 300 children aged 9-10 (Grades 3 and 4) taken from 3 school clusters of low, medium and high categories from various aspects. Reading comprehension skills in text and childrens mathematical word problem solving performance are tested. Reading comprehension skills are investigated to categorize participants as good or poor readers. The results showed that the ability to read comprehension had a very close relationship with the ability to solve mathematical word problems. The ability to understand the relationship between words and words in a sentence that contains problems is crucial for students to solve mathematical word problems. The school cluster chosen also influences the level of childrens mathematical word problem solving ability and reading comprehension skills. This implies that schools that have different characteristics need different teaching of reading comprehension and arithmetic. From the results of this study, researchers recommend teaching reading and counting in elementary schools be carried out in an integrated manner.
Keywords: mathematical word problems- reading comprehension- school cluster- elementary school student.
