Effective Mathematics Instruction

Problem Solving & Communication

Overview
Big Ideas Problem Solving in Math Classroom Structures for Problem Solving Communication in Problem Solving Polyas Problem-Solving model Assessment Resources

A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathem atics

Kindergarten to Grade 6
A Resource in Five Volumes from the Ministry of Education

Volume Two Problem Solving and Communication

All teaching of mathematics should focus on the signicant mathematical concepts.

The Report on the Expert Panel on Early Math in Ontario, 2003 Learning Mathematics: The Report of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4-6 in Ontario, 2004

Big Ideas
The important concepts or major underlying principles of a curriculum area E.g., quantity, operational sense, representation, relationships and proportional reasoning are the big ideas for Grades 4-6 in the Number Sense and Numeration strand of the Ontario Curriculum Effective math programs have curriculum expectations clustered around big ideas and learning activities that highlight those big ideas. Ensures concepts represented in the curriculum expectations are not taught as isolated bits of information but rather as a connected network of interrelated concepts. Helps students make connections and gain a deeper understanding of math. Teachers need a sound understanding of the big ideas in every curriculum strand to plan an effective math program.

There is a general consensus that instructional approaches that focus on developing students understanding of the big ideas of math through problem solving benet most students.
Volume One: Foundations of Mathematics Instruction; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6

Problem Solving in Math

Problem Solving: engaging in a task for which the solution is not obvious or known in advance Investigation: an instructional activity in which students pursue a problem or an exploration; very natural to young children. To solve problems, students: draw on their previous knowledge; try out different strategies; make connections; reach conclusions.

Problem Solving in Math

Important to the development and understanding of big ideas because it: is the primary focus and goal of math in the real world; helps students become more condent mathematicians; allows students to use the knowledge they bring to school and helps them connect math with situations outside the classroom; helps students develop math knowledge and gives meaning to skills and concepts in all strands; allows students to reason, communicate ideas, make connections, and apply knowledge and skills; offers excellent opportunities for assessing students understanding of the big ideas and their ability to solve problems, apply concepts and procedures and to communicate ideas; promotes the collaborative sharing of ideas and strategies, and promotes talking about math; helps students nd enjoyment in math; increases opportunities for the use of critical thinking skills.

Students need to be exposed to problems and problem solving on a daily basis.

Volume Two: Problem Solving and Communication; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6

Classroom Structures for Problem Solving

Teachers can provide a variety of classroom opportunities when teaching about problem solving, including: daily challenges: provide students with a meaningful problem to solve; every day or every-other day at a specic time (e.g., rst thing in the morning) or whenever you have an opportunity throughout the day a problem solving corner or bulletin: students are given time to visit and solve a problem; bring whole class together later to discuss the problem, share their strategies, hear and see strategies used by other students, evaluate solutions, and at times cooperatively solve the problem. an activity centre: provide a problem for students to solve collaboratively; ask group at the centre to share its strategies during class sharing sessions; ask students who have already worked there to make comparisons with the strategies they used; students consider whether one strategy works better than another.

The secret to successful teaching is being able to determine what students are thinking and then using that information as the basis for instruction. Teachers learn what students are thinking through student communication.
Volume Two: Problem Solving and Communication; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6

Communication and Problem Solving

Problem solving gives students opportunities to develop and reinforce their literacy skills including: reading and interpreting information; expressing their thoughts orally and in writing; listening to others; thinking critically about ideas.

Having students communicate mathematically helps teachers to: gauge students attitudes towards math; understand student learning, including misconceptions that students have (the basis for instruction); help students make sense of what they are learning; recognize and appreciate another perspective.

Students with good conceptual knowledge of mathematics may have difculty applying such knowledge in problem-solving activities because they have not yet internalized a model that will guide them through the process.
Volume Two: Problem Solving and Communication; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6

The phases of the four-step model are described below, together with some of the implications for teaching each phase.

Four-Step Problem-Solving Model

Phases of the Four-Step Model
Understanding the problem

Implications for Teaching

Students should be encouraged to think and talk about the problem and to restate it in their own words before they go to manipulatives or to paper and pencil. Students should be guided to develop a plan. They should realize that all plans are tentative and may be changed throughout the process. They can consider strategies they might use. Suggestions such as looking at the classroom strategy wall might be helpful. It is not necessary for students to record the plan in writing. At this phase, students are carrying out their plan and using strategies such as drawing a picture or working with manipulatives. Teacher prompting at this time should focus on questions that elicit greater understanding but should avoid inadvertently solving the problem for the student. Perseverance at this stage should be encouraged. Suggestions to help the student become unstuck can be provided for example: Ask Natalie for an idea. Refer to the strategy wall for another approach. Can you think of a problem that is similar to this?

Making a plan

Carrying out the plan

Looking back and reflecting on the solution

During this getting back together phase, it is crucial that students share their ideas in the large group. As a result of the sharing, they can begin to discern that a variety of strategies can be used. They also begin to evaluate critically which strategy works best for them (e.g., is most efficient, is easiest to understand). Teachers should encourage students to discuss what they have learned through the problem-solving experience and to pose new problems that are related to the one just solved.

Polyas Problem Solving Model

Problem Solving

37

Polyas Problem-Solving Model

Teachers can display it in the classroom and encourage students to refer to it for help in reecting on the process used to nd solutions; Communicate the idea that problem solvers do not always follow the stages of the model in a lockstep fashion, they often need to go back and forth between stages in order to understand the problem, try out strategies and nd appropriate solutions. The primary goal of problem solving is making sense of math rather than mastering the steps of a problem-solving model or a set of problem solving strategies!

The assessment information that the teacher gathers is used to plan next steps and future learning experiences.
Volume Two: Problem Solving and Communication; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6

Assessment of Problem Solving

Four categories of characteristics impact a students ability to solve problems (Baroody, 1998): cognition; affect; metacognition; exibility.

Teachers can better assess students problem solving abilities, attitudes and beliefs by making observations and collecting data on the characteristics. On the basis of these observations, teachers can plan and initiate next instructional steps to help the student.

Suggestions for Next Instructional Steps

Observation
The teacher observes whether students: make conceptual connections between mathematical ideas

Next Steps
The teacher needs to: provide encouragement to students as they begin to make conceptual connections provide prompts that help to scaffold and support students developing ideas

approach problem-solving situations with confidence

avoid dominating the problem-solving situation allow students adequate think time allow each student to work with a partner to build confidence maintain a positive attitude towards problem solving

use self-monitoring strategies

help students develop strategies for reasoning their way towards an answer (e.g., encourage students to use what they already know, such as making tens to help with addition) provide various students with opportunities to share their strategies for solving a problem in different ways build a strategy wall as students in the class generate new strategies remind students that there are many ways to solve problems celebrate diversity in thinking

are flexible in using strategies and processes

Suggested Appendix 5-1 in teachersprovides an anecdotal tracking form that can be used responses this section can make after observing students while they are problem solving.
throughout a term to record observations of individual students and note next instructional steps to take.

Resources
Volume One: Foundations of Mathematics Instruction; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6 http://eworkshop.on.ca/ edu/resources/guides/Guide_Math_K_6_Volume_1.pdf Volume Two: Problem Solving and Communication; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6 http://eworkshop.on.ca/ edu/resources/guides/Guide_Math_K_6_Volume_2.pdf Expert Panel on Early Math in Ontario. (2003). Early math strategy: The report of the Expert Panel on Early Math in Ontario. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education. Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario. (2004). Teaching and learning in mathematics. The report of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education eWorkshop Problem Solving learning module: http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/ core.cfm?p=main&modID=18&modColour=2&L=1

Resources
Polya, G. (1945). How to solve it. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Baroody, A. J. (1998). Fostering childrens mathematical power. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Mathematical Learning Centres, Grades 1-6 in Volume 3: Classroom Resources and Management; A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6 http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/resources/guides/ Guide_Math_K_6_Volume_3.pdf