word problems

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Archive : 2007 : November : 29

word problems
By denisealice

Hi,

We just had a math teachers meeting and talked about this very thing. I teach first but we all agreed that one of the best ways to deal with word problems is: multiple readings of the problem, determine what
you're going to do (are we adding, sub, etc.), draw pictures, use manipulatives, and/or whatever need be - and work out each layer of the problem so that it can be seen(showing all your work kind of thing.) Also - make the kids talk through the steps (even if they are wrong it helps to know what they thought in the process.) It also makes it all stop at the teacher because ultimately the

teacher has to be able to walk the kids through the process. What helped us was that we are all using the same basic strategies so the kids will hear it from year to year. I sure hope this helps. As a child I hated word problems - and now I love teaching them and getting the kids to enjoy them.