Error analysis

Teachers should use evidence of learning to analyse, diagnose and remediate errors. Error analysis involves
the analysis of error patterns to identify difficulties that students may have with facts, concepts, strategies and
procedures. Identifying the type of error allows the teacher to address learner needs more efficiently.
Teachers can analyse errors using the following steps:
Step 1
Collect evidence of learning by asking the student to complete a number of problems of the same type.
Step 2
Look at the students responses or record all responses that the student makes, particularly their comments.
Step 3
Look for error patterns.
Step 4
Look for exceptions to error patterns.
Step 5
Analyse the types of errors and consider the causes.
Step 6
If further clarification is required, encourage the student to talk through or demonstrate her/his approach or, in
the case of word problems, interview the student.

Types of errors

Types of errors for mental and written computation 6

Fact errors the student makes errors with specific facts, or with all or
most facts, for a particular operation.
Operation errors
o Incorrect operation the student uses the incorrect operation (eg the
student adds instead of subtracting or multiplies instead of adding).
o Wrong algorithm for given operation the student uses steps that
are for a different operation.
Procedural errors
o Placement errors the student sequences digits incorrectly, or
aligns parts of the algorithm incorrectly.
o Incorrect steps the student uses steps that are not associated with
any operation.
o Missing steps the student misses steps needed to complete a
procedure.

Types of errors for word problem 8

Reading errors the student cannot read a key word or symbol or reads
the key word or symbol incorrectly.

Comprehension errors the student reads all words in the problem

accurately but does not understand the overall problem or specific terms
within the problem.
Transformation errors the student understands what the problem
requires but is unable to identify the operation or the sequence of
operations needed to solve the problem.
Procedural errors or fact errors
Encoding errors the student solves the problem but does not write the
solution in an appropriate form.

Fact errors

Example

Stage 2
Number Strand (Substrand: Addition and Subtraction)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification (the Next step

student talks through or
demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the case of
word problems, the
teacher interviews the
student)

Expected
response

From the work

sample, the
teacher assumes
that the student
has used the
algorithm for
addition correctly
but has added
the numbers in
the ones column
incorrectly

The student says:

Student
response

The teacher needs to

find out what strategy
I added 452 and 534 using the student is using to
an algorithm. 2 ones plus
add one-digit numbers
4 ones equals 7 ones. I
wrote 7 underneath in the When adding 2 and 4
ones column. 5 tens plus
the student may be
3 tens equals 8 tens. I
recalling the answer
wrote 8 underneath in the incorrectly. If so, the
tens column. 4 hundreds
teacher needs to
plus 5 hundreds equals 9
provide practice
hundreds. I wrote 9
adding 2 and 4. If the
underneath in the
student is using the
hundreds column. My
counting on strategy,
answer was 987
the teacher needs to
re-teach the strategy
with emphasis on
starting from the next

number
The teacher teaches
strategies to check
answers using a
different method
back to Types of errors for mental and written computation

Operation errors incorrect operation

Example

Stage 2

12 x 3 =
2x5=
8x4=
3x6=

Number Strand (Substrand: Multiplication and Division)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification
Next step
(the student talks through
or demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the case
of word problems, the
teacher interviews the
student)

Expected
response

From the work

sample, the teacher
assumes that the
student has divided
instead of multiplied in
cases where the first
number is bigger than
the second number

The student says:

12 x 3 = 36
2 x 5 = 10
8 x 4 = 32
3 x 6 = 18
Student
response
12 x 3 = 4
2 x 5 = 10
8x4=2
3 x 6 = 18

The teacher reteaches the meaning

I divided 12 by 3 by
of the x and signs.
taking away 3 four times The teacher links
multiplication and
I multiplied 2 by 5. I know division facts using
2 fives are 10
arrays
I divided 8 by 4 by taking
away 4 twice.
I multiplied 3 by 6, by
adding 6 three times

The teacher
emphasises the
commutative property
(eg 9 x 3 = 3 x 9)

back to Types of errors for mental and written computation

Operation errors wrong algorithm

Example

Stage 2
Number Strand (Substrand: Addition and Subtraction)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification
(the student talks
through or
demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the
case of word
problems, the
teacher interviews
the student)

Expected
response

From the work

sample, the
teacher observes
that the student
has used a formal
written algorithm
for addition rather
than subtraction

The student says:

Student
response

Next step

The teacher points to the +

and signs and asks the
I added 545 plus 332 student to read each sign. If
the student reads the sign
The teacher does not incorrectly, the teacher reask the student to
teaches the meaning of the
explain their process sign and provides a scaffold
as the student has
of the sign and associated
used the algorithm
language (eg +, add, join,
for addition correctly plus etc). If the student
reads the sign correctly, the
teacher teaches the student
to highlight or underline the
operation. The teacher
assesses the students use
of the algorithm for
subtraction. The teacher
explicitly teaches the
algorithm for subtraction if
required and provides

additional practice
back to Types of errors for mental and written computation

Procedural errors placement error

Example

Stage 3

6.325 + 13.56

Number Strand (Substrand: Fractions and Decimals)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification
(the student talks
through or
demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the case
of word problems, the
teacher interviews the
student)

Next step

Expected response

From the work

sample, the
teacher
observes that
the student
has
incorrectly
aligned the
numbers and
the decimal
point

The student says:

The teacher explicitly

re-teaches the
procedure to complete
the problem, guiding
the student through the
alignment of columns
using grid paper or a
visual scaffold (eg as
below)

Student response

I added 6.325 + 13.56

using an algorithm. 5
thousandths plus 6
thousandths equals 11
thousandths. I split the
11 into 1 hundredth and
1 thousandth. I traded
the 1 hundredth to the
next column and wrote
the 1 thousandth
underneath in the
thousandths column. In
the hundredths column I
added 1 and 2 and 5
and got 8. I wrote the 8
underneath in the
hundredths column.
There was only one
number in the tenths
column, so I wrote 3

The teacher
emphasises place
value
The teacher provides
additional opportunities
for practice

underneath in the tenths

column. I put in the
decimal point. There
was only one number in
the ones column so I
wrote 3 underneath in
the ones column. In the
tens column I added the
numbers 6 and 1 and
got 7. I wrote the 7
underneath in the tens
column. My answer was
73.381
back to Types of errors for mental and written computation

Procedural errors incorrect steps

Example:
7 plus 4
4 plus 3
10 plus 2

Stage 1
Number Strand (Substrand: Addition and Subtraction)

Response

Analysis

Further
clarification (the
student talks
through or
demonstrates
his/her approach
or, in the case of
word problems,
the teacher
interviews the
student)

Next step

Expected response

From the work

sample, the
teacher assumes
that the student
used the
counting on
strategy but did

The student says:

The teacher explicitly reteaches the counting on

strategy by prompting
the student to place the
larger number in his
head and count on
starting at the next

7 plus 4 equals 11
4 plus 3 equals 7
10 plus 2 equals 12

I counted on (the
student uses
fingers) 7, 8, 9,
10. My answer

Student response
7 plus 4 equals 10
4 plus 3 equals 6
10 plus 2 equals 11

not start counting

from the next
number. Rather,
the student
started counting
from the number
to which he was
adding the
second number

was 10
The teacher does
not ask the
student to explain
the other
examples as the
interview has
confirmed the
assumed cause

number. The teacher

may support the student
using scaffolds (eg
number line or semiconcrete
representations)
The teacher provides
additional opportunities
for practice

back to Types of errors for mental and written computation

Procedural errors missing steps

Example
63 + 29 =

Stage 2
Number Strand (Substrand: Addition and Subtraction)

Response

Analysis

Further
clarification (the
student talks
through or
demonstrates
his/her approach or,
in the case of word
problems, the
teacher interviews
the student)

Next step

Expected response

From the work

sample, the teacher
assumes that the
student has used the
compensation
strategy, adding 1 to
29 to make 30, but
has failed to
compensate by
subtracting 1 from the
total

The student says:

The teacher
explicitly reteaches the step of
the compensation
strategy
emphasising that,
if we add, we then
need to take away

63 + 29 = 92
Student response
63 + 29 = 93

I added the two

numbers together in
my head using the
compensation
strategy. I added 1
to 29 to make 30.
Starting at 63 I
added 30. My
answer was 93

The teacher
provides additional
opportunities for

practice
back to Types of errors for mental and written computation

Reading errors

Example:
Tran has 80 cents. His mother gives
him another $10. How much money
does he have altogether?

Stage 1
Number Strand
(Substrand: Addition and Subtraction)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification
(the student talks
through or demonstrates
his/her approach or, in
the case of word
problems, the teacher
interviews the student)

Next step

Expected response

From the work

sample, the
teacher assumes
that the student
has read $10 as
10 cents and
then added 80
cents

The student responds to

interview questions:

The teacher reteaches the

meaning of the $
sign

10 dollars and 80
cents
Student response
90 cents

back to Types of errors for word problem

1. Tran has 80 cents.

His mother gives
him another 10
cents. How much
money does he
have altogether?
2. To work out how
much money Tran
has altogether
3. By adding 80 cents
and 10 cents
together
4. I knew that 80 plus
10 is 90
5. My answer was 90
cents

The teacher
provides additional
opportunities for
practice
The teacher
assesses the
students ability to
perform simple
calculations with
money

Comprehension errors

Example
In the Year 2 classroom, there are 5
tables with 6 students at each table. How
many students are there in the
classroom?

Stage 1
Number Strand
(Substrand: Multiplication and Division)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification
Next step
(the student talks
through or
demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the
case of word problems,
the teacher interviews
the student)

Expected
response

From the work

sample, the teacher
observes that the
student has
misunderstood the
problem

The student responds

to interview questions:

5 groups of 6 is 30
Student response
The student drew
a picture showing
2 tables, with 5
students at one
table and 6
students at the
other, to obtain an
answer of 11

1. In the Year 2
classroom, there
are 5 tables with 6
students at each
table. How many
students are there
in the classroom?
2. To work out how
many students
there are in the
Year 2 classroom
3. By drawing a
picture and adding
the number of
students together
4. I read the
problem. I drew a
picture with 5
students at one
table and 6
students at the
other

The teacher
models using
procedural
prompts to solve
the word problem
The teacher
assesses the
students
understanding of
at each
The teacher
guides the student
to use procedural
prompts to solve
similar problems

5. My answer was 11
back to Types of errors for word problem

Transformation errors

Example
Tony is thinking of a number. If he doubles
the number and adds 4 he gets 18. What is
the number?

Stage 3
Patterns and Algebra Strand
(Substrand: Patterns and Algebra)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification Next step

(the student talks
through or
demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the
case of word
problems, the teacher
interviews the
student)

Expected response

From the work

sample, the teacher
observes that the
student has
attempted to write a
number sentence
using inverse
operations, but has
incorrectly ordered
the operations

The student responds The teacher reto interview

teaches the
questions:
construction of
number sentences
to match problems
1. Tony is thinking
presented in
of a number. If
words
he doubles the
number and
The teacher then
adds 4 he gets
demonstrates to
18. What is the
the student how to
number?
solve problems
2. To work out the
using inverse
number that
operations
Tony was
thinking of
The teacher
3. To start from 18
models checking
and work
the solution by
backwards to
substituting the
find the number
4. The number had solution into the

?=7
Student response
The student writes
18 2 4 = ?
and gives the
answer ? = 5

been doubled so
I divided by 2 to
get 9. Then,
because 4 had
been added to
the number, I
took 4 away to
get 5
5. My answer was
5

original problem
The teacher
guides the student
in writing number
sentences for
similar problems

back to Types of errors for word problem

Encoding errors

Example
A class of 30 students is to be divided into
three equal-sized teams. How many
students will there be in each team?

Stage 2
Number Strand
(Substrand: Multiplication and Division)

Response

Analysis

Further clarification
(the student talks
through or
demonstrates his/her
approach or, in the
case of word
problems, the teacher
interviews the
student)

Next step

Expected response

From the work

sample, the teacher
observes that the
student has obtained
the correct answer but
has interchanged the
divisor (3) and the
dividend (30) in
writing

The teacher does not

require the student to
explain the process
used given that the
correct answer was
obtained

The teacher reteaches the use

of explaining
the correct
placement of the
dividend, the
divisor and the
quotient

10 students
Student response
The student writes:

The teacher asks the

student to read what
they have written
The student reads

The teacher also

re-teaches

correctly, 30 divided
by 3 is equal to 10

writing solutions
using the
sign, and in
words

back to Types of errors for word problem

Interview 8
In an error analysis interview for written word problems, the teacher asks the student to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Read the question.

Tell me what the question was asking you to do.
Tell me how you planned to find the answer.
Tell me and show me what you did to get the answer.
Tell me what your answer was.

The teacher might use alternative questions or instructions depending on the students age and learning needs.