It appears that arithmetic (especially the solving of word problems) is affected by how well students understand language. Children learn language by hearing others speak. Brophy and Evertson (1976), for example, report that a systematic pattern is a good way to help beginning readers. Zemelman, Daniels, and Hyde (1988) believe that new and different reading activities are the key to helping beginning readers. In looking at language skills and reading in the classroom, Cooper (1982) discusses the acquisition of language and its importance to arithmetic and other issues. While there is no complete consensus on how students acquire language, it is believed that there are three factors-biological forces, interaction with adults, and natural curiosity. Those same forces are there in learning to read as well, and those forces can also be extended to the learning of arithmetic and the ability to solve word problems adequately. Without the ability to read well and comprehend what is being read, word problems are very difficult for the student to understand. When they have trouble understanding them, they also have trouble completing them correctly, and therefore their grades suffer in their arithmetic classes. In third grade, students are learning and beginning to master many of the core concepts that they will need as they continue on further into arithmetic, and because of this they must be able to understand what they are learning and how to apply it properly, which they cannot do if they are struggling with language.
             The New York State Standards are in line with the ideas of top researchers. In New York State, students are taught about reading for meaning within content and reading to acquire information. In other words, they are taught to read for comprehension. Even very young children who are just learning to read can be taught to read for the meaning in the story. This kind of reading is much more interesting to student
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