Dear Families,
Students will be solving story problems throughout the year. In the fall, students begin learning how to choose tools, strategies, and ways of showing their thinking.
Our story problem routine is as follows:
1. Visualize the story problem. Focus on the action taking place in the story problem.
What seems like a simple skill will become especially important later in the year. Focusing on the action taking place will help them decide what type of problem they are solving. Here are some examples of story problem structures and equations they will be expected to write:
7 + 3 = ___
___+3=10
7 + ___ = 10
10-7=___
10-___ = 3
___ - 7 = 3
2. Retell the story problem to at least one other person.
3. Is the answer to the question going to be bigger or smaller than the numbers you started with.
They are deciding whether to add or subtract here.
4. Get read to solve your story problem! Choose your tools and your strategy.
Tools: pencil, connecting cubes, counters, number line
Strategies: counting all, counting on (up) or back (down), using numerical reasoning (a fact you know)
5. Solve the problem and show your thinking!
I tell students that someone should be able to walk into the room and understand how they solved the problem. Most students use some combination of numbers, pictures, and words.
I find that the greatest challenge is having students record the strategy they actually used, rather than the strategy that seems simplest to record.
Students will be solving story problems throughout the year. In the fall, students begin learning how to choose tools, strategies, and ways of showing their thinking.
Our story problem routine is as follows:
1. Visualize the story problem. Focus on the action taking place in the story problem.
What seems like a simple skill will become especially important later in the year. Focusing on the action taking place will help them decide what type of problem they are solving. Here are some examples of story problem structures and equations they will be expected to write:
7 + 3 = ___
___+3=10
7 + ___ = 10
10-7=___
10-___ = 3
___ - 7 = 3
2. Retell the story problem to at least one other person.
3. Is the answer to the question going to be bigger or smaller than the numbers you started with.
They are deciding whether to add or subtract here.
4. Get read to solve your story problem! Choose your tools and your strategy.
Tools: pencil, connecting cubes, counters, number line
Strategies: counting all, counting on (up) or back (down), using numerical reasoning (a fact you know)
5. Solve the problem and show your thinking!
I tell students that someone should be able to walk into the room and understand how they solved the problem. Most students use some combination of numbers, pictures, and words.
I find that the greatest challenge is having students record the strategy they actually used, rather than the strategy that seems simplest to record.