I have been asked many times about what strategies to use in problem solving. There is no one strategy. Word problems can present a particular challenge to our learners. Happy students can turn grumpy and unreasonable in 3 seconds flat. The only phrase they seem to be able to muster is only “I don’t get it!” Oddly that one phrase can instantly bring you( a sophisticated, caring and giving parent who decided to teach some math that day) down to their tantrum level. You only notice that you’re there because of the pain you suddenly feel from from all that torn out hair. After a deep breath (& possibly some band-aids) teach your word problem monster that they should ask themselves 4 very important questions:
1. what am I solving for?
2. what are my key words for the operation? (see key word post)
3. what are the essential #’s?
4. what is the junk information?
To help further reduce anxiety have your now calm but sniffling learner mark through the problem after each question. This will help visually identify important information and the throw away information.
Remember there is “more than one way to skin a cat”. Change up the scenery. Change up your strategy. Here are some other methods to tackle a word problem:
- Act it out
- Make a drawing
- Look for patterns
- Construct a table
- Identify all possibilities
- Guess & check
- Work backwards
- Write an open sentence
- Solve a similar or simpler problem
- Change your point of view
Send me your best “word-problem monster” moment, and how or if you were able to overcome it.
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