Math+Problem+Solving+Strategies

Math Strategies We Use In Class For Problem Solving

Each strategy will be demonstrated with the following word problem:
 * These strategies will be taught throughout the year. I will inform you each month about the strategies the students have discovered and inquired about during collaborative problem solving.

Jack has 6 suckers and he finds 4 more suckers. How many suckers does Jack have altogether?

Draw a Picture: The students read the problem and draw all of the information from the problem to help them conceptualize the problem and find the answer.



Act It Out: The students find objects in the room and act out the word problem. The objects represent the items from the word problem.



students are able to use any objects from the classroom to act out the word problem. Then they draw how they acted it out and solved the problem.

Use Cubes or Counters:

The students will use counters or cubes to build the numbers from the word problem. Each number will be represented with a different colour:



Use A Number Mat:

The students will place counters on for each number on each part of the mat Then both parts will be brought together to build the "whole" and find the answer.



Use A Number Line:

The students will find the first number on the number line and hop foreward the number of spaces needed for the second number to find the answer.



Use Ten Frames:

The students will build the first number on the ten frames with one colour of counter. The students continue building from a left to right direction the second number in a different colour. The answer is determined by counting in groups of 10 and counting up the extra ones.