Initial Efficacy of a Decimal Vocabulary Intervention for Students With Mathematics Difficulty in Grade 5.

This article examines the initial efficacy of a decimal vocabulary intervention designed for fifth-grade students with mathematics difficulty (MD) in a Chinese public school. Using a nonconcurrent multiple-baseline, single-case design, the study found that a brief, structured intervention incorporating graphic organizers and flashcards significantly improved students’ decimal vocabulary and decimal arithmetic performance, with gains maintained three weeks post-intervention. The intervention differentiated between decimal vocabulary (conceptual terms related to decimals) and arithmetic vocabulary (terms related to operations), employing tailored instructional strategies for each. Findings suggest that enhancing decimal vocabulary may support improved decimal arithmetic skills in students with MD, and that such targeted vocabulary instruction could be a valuable component of mathematics interventions.