What is it?
This strategy was designed to help students understood, analyze and solve word problems. Using a teacher-constructed graphic organizer, students must evaluate facts, concepts, rules mathematics ideas and approaches to solve particular word problems.
How could it be used in mathematical instruction?
The strategy can help pupils to focus on the important facts in a word problem. It allows students to check the usefulness of a number of approaches, questions or computations in solving a problem.
How to use it:
- Construct a guide for a given problem. The first level (Part 1) should include a set of facts suggested by the data given in the problem. The pupil’s goal is to analyze each fact to determine if it is true and if it will help to solve the problem.
- The second level (Part II) should contain mathematics, ideas, rules, or concepts that pupils can examine to determine which might apply to the problem-solving task.
- The third level (Part III) should include a list of possible ways to get the answer. Students will analyze these to see which ones might help them solve the problem.
- Introduce pupils to the strategy by showing them a problem and the completed three-level guide. Explain what kind of information is included at each level.
- Model for pupils how to use the guide in solving problems.
- Present pupils with another problem guide. Suggest that they analyze the information included to determine its validity and usefulness in solving the problem.
By: Jeanilyn D. Deocampo | T-I | Antonio G. Llamas Elementary School
