Practical Ideas That Really Work for Teaching Math Problem Solving

The instructional ideas presented in this kit are specially designed for teaching students who are working with problem solving skills that encompass addition and subtraction.

The kit includes a quick, easy to use criterion-referenced rating scale, an ideas matrix, and 34 research-based strategies to improve students’ skills in the following areas: reading and understanding maths problems, using strategies to solve maths problems, checking the reasonableness of the answer, and using what they learned to solve other maths problems.

The rating scale:

• Evaluates behaviours that interfere with effective maths problem solving
• Relates the behaviours to problem solving.

The matrix:

• Quickly identifies which ideas will target selected behaviours 

• Offers multiple ideas for each behaviour

The ideas:

• Include a one-page explanation of each of the 34 ideas
• List handy tips to increase each idea's effectiveness
• Provide helpful illustrations and examples
• Offer reproducible masters for most ideas.