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Start With Numberless Word Problems

Tags

Mathematics ^21st Century Skills Elementary School Strategy

Start With Numberless Word Problems

If your student dives into answer a problem without planning or understanding

Instruction And Practice

  1. Objective: Numberless word problems will help students learn the structure and thought process behind solving word problems without having to focus yet on the numbers and solving.
  2. Direct Instruction: a) Present Just Pictures: Teach students to inspect a picture with a math mindset. Ex: Show a picture with 3 girls and 4 boys. Ask what they see. Encourage students to observe quantities and make comparisons. "There are 3 girls and 4 boys." "There are 7 students combined." "There are more boys than girls." Show the picture again with an actual problem and see how their understanding deepens. b) Represent Operations in Words: Help students see how language translates to math. Ex: "There are 3 students. Five more students came and joined them." Draw a picture of this problem. c) Use Math Words: Use terms such as "every week this year" or "all day" which would symbolize 52 weeks or 24 hours. Encourage students to understand how words translate into numbers. When the terms show up in word problems, they will be prepared.

Teacher Resources

  1. Mindprint Resource: This Math Tip Sheet provides additional every day words that relate to math.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Numberless word problems give students an opportunity to learn the structure of word problems without the distraction of numbers. They help students learn the vocabulary of word problems and think about what the problem is actually asking. Students with weaker flexible thinking might have a harder time with the ambiguity and inferencing but this practice can be an effective way for them to gain comfort with not having a single correct answer.

Best-suited for students with weaker: Attention, Inhibition, Long-term Memory, Short-Term Memory, Working Memory, Processing Speed (Source: Digital Promise Learner Variability Project)