Take it of your shoulders: Providing scaffolds leads to better performance on mathematical word problems in secondary school children with developmental coordination disorder.
Showing the middle steps on math worksheets raises accuracy for secondary students with DCD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bert et al. (2020) tested a simple classroom tweak. They gave secondary students with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) math word problems that already showed the middle steps. The kids only had to fill in the blanks.
A second group got the same problems without the hints. The study then compared how many questions each group got right.
What they found
The scaffold group scored higher. Seeing the hidden steps helped students with DCD solve more problems correctly.
The gains came without extra teaching time or fancy equipment. Just breaking the problem into visible chunks was enough.
How this fits with other research
Mattson et al. (2020) used a similar low-effort tool—activity schedules—in the same middle-school setting. Their schedules boosted on-task behavior while Bert’s scaffolds boosted accuracy. Together they show that small visual aids can lift both behavior and learning.
Spanoudis et al. (2011) warned that most DCD studies ignore real classroom tasks. Bert’s paper answers that call by targeting a daily academic demand—math word problems—and getting positive results.
Fujiwara et al. (2025) found most assistive tech for DCD focuses on gym class, not seat-work. Bert’s worksheet scaffold fills that fine-motor gap with something any teacher can print.
Why it matters
You can print the scaffold today. Take any word problem, write the interim steps in dotted boxes, and hand it to your student with DCD. No extra training, no cost. Start with one problem type, then add more once you see the gains.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Many children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have mathematical problems which are more pronounced for mathematical skills that also require executive functions. Although empirical evidence is missing, math and special education need teachers of children with DCD report difficulties with mathematical word problem solving that can be remediated by providing the children with scaffolds cueing the intermediate steps. AIMS: This study aims to find empirical evidence for the effectivity of such additional support. In addition, we want to investigate whether the difficulties are due to inefficient arithmetic or executive functioning skills. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A DCD and a control group solved word problems with and without scaffolds and conducted a series of tasks measuring calculation and executive skills. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Performance improves when scaffolds are presented to children with DCD. Children with DCD and control children differ on executive functioning tasks but perform similarly on arithmetic tests. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Providing scaffolds for word problem solving is effective in children with DCD. Scaffolds possibly reduce the required cognitive load, making the problem solvable for DCD children that have reduced executive functioning skills.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103745