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
Teaching approaches
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1 approach
When your child gets a maths problem they don't immediately know how to solve, do they stop and think about what the question is asking — maybe drawing a picture — before diving in?
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
Learning resources
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5 before · 2 after
Before
This concept
Check understanding
- 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)
“When your child gets a maths problem they don't immediately know how to solve, do they stop and think about what the question is asking — maybe drawing a picture — before diving in?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Meta
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Mathematical Thinking
- Age range
- Ages 5–6