Word Problems
Word problems are complex. There is so much information provided in a word problem but it is coded replacing symbols for words, numbers for letters, and involves more skills than just solving the problem.
Helpful ArticlEs on Word Problems
The Math Frame: Reaching Mathematical Common Core Heights for Students Who Struggle
By: Gloria Lodato Wilson
This article presents "The Math Frame" as a strategy for solving word problems. This strategy naturally breaks word problems down into chunks, and then scaffolds the process of solving a word problem. There are 6 steps within the math frame. Each step is a question that the students must answer.
Step 1 is "What information is given?" This step requires students to read the problem and look for the facts and disregard any extra information. Step 2 asks "What are you asked to solve?" In this step, the student must determine what the underlying problem is that they are asked to solve. Step 3 asks "What strategy might help you solve the problem?" For this the student needs to reflect on what the problem is asking and how they can most efficiently solve it. Steps 4 and 4 go together as they ask "What steps do I need to go through to solve the problem?" and What calculations must I do to solve the problem?" This requires students to think about the strategy that they have selected and how they will use it to solve the problem, inputting the word problem data into the strategy. Step 6 asks the student "What is the solution to the problem? Does it make sense?" This prompts the student to complete the equations and make sure that the answer that they found makes sense to the equations.
This article highlights The Math Frame's relationship with the Common Core Standards as well as it's benefits for students who struggle with solving word problems. The writing style is very clear and easy to understand. It includes scaffold sample problems, and worksheets formatted for the Math Frame. This article is great for parents who are looking to understand how to better break down word problems to help their students. It also presents the importance of word problems and their link to the common core standards. Eleven pages including worksheets and references, this article is short, sweet, to the point, and practical when helping your student navigate a word problem.
Wilson, G. (2013). The Math Frame. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(1), 36-46.
By: Gloria Lodato Wilson
This article presents "The Math Frame" as a strategy for solving word problems. This strategy naturally breaks word problems down into chunks, and then scaffolds the process of solving a word problem. There are 6 steps within the math frame. Each step is a question that the students must answer.
Step 1 is "What information is given?" This step requires students to read the problem and look for the facts and disregard any extra information. Step 2 asks "What are you asked to solve?" In this step, the student must determine what the underlying problem is that they are asked to solve. Step 3 asks "What strategy might help you solve the problem?" For this the student needs to reflect on what the problem is asking and how they can most efficiently solve it. Steps 4 and 4 go together as they ask "What steps do I need to go through to solve the problem?" and What calculations must I do to solve the problem?" This requires students to think about the strategy that they have selected and how they will use it to solve the problem, inputting the word problem data into the strategy. Step 6 asks the student "What is the solution to the problem? Does it make sense?" This prompts the student to complete the equations and make sure that the answer that they found makes sense to the equations.
This article highlights The Math Frame's relationship with the Common Core Standards as well as it's benefits for students who struggle with solving word problems. The writing style is very clear and easy to understand. It includes scaffold sample problems, and worksheets formatted for the Math Frame. This article is great for parents who are looking to understand how to better break down word problems to help their students. It also presents the importance of word problems and their link to the common core standards. Eleven pages including worksheets and references, this article is short, sweet, to the point, and practical when helping your student navigate a word problem.
Wilson, G. (2013). The Math Frame. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(1), 36-46.
The Effects of using Drawings in Developing Young Children's Mathematical Word Problem Solving: A Design Experiment with Third-grade Hungarian Students
By : Csaba Csikos, Judit Szitanyi, and Rita Keleman
This article highlights the current research on using drawings as a strategy to solve word problems.Third-grade Hungarian students participated in a studied the effects of using drawings to solve word problems as well as it's effect on student's confidence solving word problems. These students were separated into two groups, one control group and one intervention group. The control group received no further instruction on how to solve word problems using drawings. This group contained students who were preforming on average or above average in mathematics. The intervention group received specific instruction of how to use drawings to solve word problems and consisted of students preforming below average in mathematics. The study showed that after six weeks of specific instruction of how to use drawings to solve word problems, the intervention group preformed at the same level or higher than the control group. This study is very good but long and not easy to read in one sitting. The research and findings however, make it more than worth while.
Csikos,C., Szitanyi, J & Keleman, R. (2012). The effects of using drawings in developing young children’s mathematical word problem solving: A design experiment with third-grade Hungarian students. Education Studies in Mathematics, 81(1), 47-65. doi: 10.10007Is10649-011-9360-z
By : Csaba Csikos, Judit Szitanyi, and Rita Keleman
This article highlights the current research on using drawings as a strategy to solve word problems.Third-grade Hungarian students participated in a studied the effects of using drawings to solve word problems as well as it's effect on student's confidence solving word problems. These students were separated into two groups, one control group and one intervention group. The control group received no further instruction on how to solve word problems using drawings. This group contained students who were preforming on average or above average in mathematics. The intervention group received specific instruction of how to use drawings to solve word problems and consisted of students preforming below average in mathematics. The study showed that after six weeks of specific instruction of how to use drawings to solve word problems, the intervention group preformed at the same level or higher than the control group. This study is very good but long and not easy to read in one sitting. The research and findings however, make it more than worth while.
Csikos,C., Szitanyi, J & Keleman, R. (2012). The effects of using drawings in developing young children’s mathematical word problem solving: A design experiment with third-grade Hungarian students. Education Studies in Mathematics, 81(1), 47-65. doi: 10.10007Is10649-011-9360-z