Mathematics
Mrs Robyn Wilson - MaST - Mathematics Specialised Teacher
Problem Solving in Maths
Three tips for supporting mathematical problem solving at home:
1. Help children get started and reflect on word problems
2. Help children use visual representations
3. Encourage using multiple problem-solving approaches
All children can learn to be mathematical problem solvers, and children who can tackle problem solving in mathematics are better prepared for more advanced mathematics. Problem solving includes word problems, visual-spatial puzzles, games, and logic problems. Supporting your child in problem solving can enrich their learning of mathematics concepts and help them develop as mathematicians.
1. Help Children Get Started and Reflect on Word Problems
Children need to understand the problem and its context before attempting to solve it.
Some questions that can help with problem solving include:
- What is the story in this problem about?
- What is the problem asking? Highlight the key information.
- What information is given to me? How can this help me?
- Which information in the problem is relevant?
- What is a strategy I could use?
2. Help children use visual representations
Visual representations help children solve problems by linking the relationships between quantities in the problem with the mathematical operations needed to solve the problem. Below are some photos of Stage 2 using pictures to organise their thinking. The first photos show the students working out if a frog jumped 10cm each jump and he jumped 9 times how far did he jump?
Molly drew and numbered each jump and then counted by 10s.
Lyla counted up by tens using the drawing to help,
Kendall used the diagram and then realised that it was 10x9 and worked it out using her knowledge from her tables.
Molly drew and numbered each jump and then counted by 10s.
Lyla counted up by tens using the drawing to help,
Kendall used the diagram and then realised that it was 10x9 and worked it out using her knowledge from her tables.
The students below were given the problem. There were 24 marbles and and each child received 4 marbles how many children were in the group?
Here is the teacher modelling one strategy and how the answer should be written.
Dani used dots and multiplication to solve the problem.
Logan using the strategies he has learned.
Billie used multiplication and division to solve the question then drew a picture to check her answer.
Hayden checks his answer.
Here is the teacher modelling one strategy and how the answer should be written.
Dani used dots and multiplication to solve the problem.
Logan using the strategies he has learned.
Billie used multiplication and division to solve the question then drew a picture to check her answer.
Hayden checks his answer.
3. Encourage Using Multiple Problem-solving Approaches
Solve maths problems with your child and then share how you solved the problem with one another—children can benefit from your ideas and sharing their own!
When children are regularly exposed to problems that require different strategies, they learn different ways to solve problems. As a result, children become more efficient in selecting appropriate ways to solve problems and can approach and solve math problems with greater ease and flexibility.