166 ◆ Action Plan
Is it a daily routine?
It has to be daily. That is a non-negotiable. But daily doesn’t mean it takes
up the whole day. Don’t get sucked into the word problem for the entire
math period. Go in, work with it a bit and come out. Rome wasn’t built
in a day and neither will problem-solving skills be. But, I promise if you
work at it daily, students will learn how to do it well and become com-
petent and confident problem solvers.
What does the problem-solving workstation look like?
The word problem workstation should have different activities where
students have to think, solve and explain their work. There should be
word problems that they have to solve and word problems that they have
to write. They should have to check their peers’ work. They should play
different games where they have to decide what type of word problem it
is or what is the most efficient way to answer it. The workstation should
have paper and pencil as well as virtual opportunities for students to hone
their problem-solving skills.
Do I really have to know the problem types?
Yes, Matilda, you do have to know the problem types. You have to know
the problem types because you are supposed to be teaching them, and if
you don’t know them, then it is going to be a lot harder to teach them.
The reason you must learn them is that they actually help you to teach
them better and the students to learn them better. It takes the mystery out
of problem solving.
We just teach the problems from the book, do the kids really have to
know the problem types?
Yes, the students should learn to think about the problems conceptually.
The research shows that when students know the problem types, they do
better because they are focusing and breaking down the problem. They
should also be exposed to problems from their everyday lives. They should
be writing problems. So workbook problems are just that. They aren’t all
bad, but they can’t carry the whole problem-solving curriculum.
Where do I start?
Start anywhere you feel comfortable. Start small. Start with a whole class
daily routine. Start by trying to figure out who knows what in your class.
Start by pulling small groups and working with them on the problems
they are having trouble with. Yes, do go back and teach one-step problems,
if that’s what your students need (even if they are in the fifth grade).
Hopefully, it’ll be quicker and you can get to those multistep problems
with the students understanding what they are doing. Sometimes, we
have to slow down to speed up!