I apologize in advance if I seem so out of touch with this, and so inappropriately given my math training, but I don't have early childhood training. My DS does a lot of word problems and also writing down steps (the model, according to teachers). They use Singapore math. He had a few times just said that he knew the answer, mostly he was right, but sometimes he was wrong though I think that was because of carelessness. I deal with a lot of words and writing models, given my work in applied mathematics, so I thought that using word problems was a good way to teach him, and also being able to explain how he gets to the solution but then I never learned in modern classroom here so I don't know what to expect. His VI is a tad over 2 SD so maybe he should be ok with the language aspect of math although not to the same level as his vs.