xx ◆ Introduction
Chapter 10: Schoolwide Efforts
Chapter 10 discusses the 100 Word Problem Challenge, which is a contest
where students engage in scaffolded word problem solving throughout
the school year. This activity gets everybody excited and involved with
word problems across the school throughout the year.
Chapter 11: Assessment
Chapter 11 is about assessment. Assessment is essential. We need to do it
more often and in many more ways. I’m not talking about testing here,
no... I’m talking about seeing where students are and helping them get
to the next level based on that information. Students should be part of
the process as well.
Chapter 12: Action Plan
In Chapter 12, we focus on the next steps. It’s important to write an action
plan. It’s important to outline tasks and set dates to move the work for-
ward. Change requires action.
The Stuff Life is Made of
Word problems can be great! Word problems are the stuff life is made of.
If we can make connections for children between their daily lives and the
problems we pose and solve in school, we will have much more success.
This book is about giving students a repertoire of tools, models and strate-
gies to help them think about, understand and solve word problems. We
want to scaffold reasoning opportunities from the concrete (using objects)
to the pictorial (pictures and drawings) and, finally, to the abstract (writ-
ing equations).
—Dr. Nicki Newton