Correlation between reading skills and mathematics performance: An analysis of Stanford Achievement Test scores from grades 6 to 11

The purpose of this research is to document the correlations between reading skills and the mathematics performance, in particular on word problem solving. This research was carried out at a private school in El Paso, Texas. The sample population consists of fifty-eight students currently enrolled from six through eleventh grades. This study considers the Stanford Achievement Test scores imparted in March 2006. The Stanford Achievement Test is a multiple-choice assessment that facilitates educators to find out what students know and are able to do at the end of a school year. Six out of the fifty-eight students' problem solving sessions were recorded when solving four word problems chosen from the textbook. Results show that reading skills are correlated to mathematics but these correlations are not strong as one may think. Also, results from the student problem-solving sessions reveal that students may read and understand word problems having a high reading score yet they may have problems decoding and setting them up. This indicates that there may be another set of skills for student success in mathematics problem solving than the reading skills.