Re: math problem solving help

arachgold

Posted on 10/28/10

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Key words are helpful, but sometimes word problems don't contain
the key words. John puts 5 apples in the basket. Mary puts 6
apples in the basket. How many apples are in the basket?

I have always found the strategies below helpful

1) Determine if the answer is going to be larger or smaller than
the largest number in the problem. Then ask,"How do we get a
___(larger/smaller) number? (larger-add/mult; smaller- sub/div
2) "Make the Numbers Smaller" -Change the numbers so they are
between 1 and 10. (Just cross out the numbers and change them.)
Then solve the problem. Once the students determine the
operation, use that operation to solve the original problem. -
If making the numbers smaller doesn't help, then have the
students use the smaller numbers to simply draw the problem.

For instance, there are 40 seats on the bus. Two people can sit
in eat seat. How many people are on the bus?

Solution: Cross out the 40 and change it 4. Keep the two because
it's lower than 10. Have the students mentally or visually figure
out the answer, even if they just count by 2's. The answer is 8.
How can we use the 4 and 2 to get 8? (Multiply) Now let's use
the original numbers and multiply them.

If they couldn't determine that 8 was the correct answer to the
new problem. have them draw the seats (simple rectangles) and
draw o's or tally marks inside the rectangles.

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