Robyn Steinhilber of St. John Fisher College compiled some intriguing research. Here is a short excerpt:
“Today’s standardized tests require students to “read, create, use, and comprehend numerous mathematical representations as a way of demonstrating mathematical literacy” (Matteson, 2006, p.205). According to Rutherford-Becker & Vanderwood (2009), students’ mathematical performance is influenced by both computational skills and reading comprehension. Students need to be able to manipulate symbols (understand objects and relationships) just as much as they need problem representation skills, or the ability to translate between verbal and graphical representations (Matteson, 2006; Adams, 2010). These problem representation skills, or language skills, are what are holding students back the most (Matteson, 2006; Rutherford-Becker & Vanderwood, 2009).”