Making Sense of Problems
Make sense of a problem by identifying what is being asked, choosing concrete objects or pictures to represent the situation, and explaining a pathway to the solution
What a learner can do afterwards
- When given a word problem within 10, explain what the problem is asking before attempting to solve
- Choose objects, fingers, or drawings to represent a problem situation
- After finding an answer, check it makes sense (e.g. re-count objects to verify a total)
The lesson
Before you solve a problem, stop and think first. What is the problem asking you to find? Think about that before you start.
Ben has 4 stars. His friend gives him 3 more stars. Ben draws all his stars and counts them together. He gets 7 stars in total.
After you get an answer, check it. Count again to make sure it makes sense. If it does not match, count once more.
Stop, think, draw or count, solve, then check your answer.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.