Discuss the various methods of solving math problems What Do You Do When You Have a Problem?

Discuss the various methods of solving math problems

What Do You Do When You Have a Problem?

There are all sorts of math problems in the world. Trying to figure out solutions is not always easy. We all know that there are some math problems where the answers are straightforward and immediate. But there are some problems which require more math skills and thought to solve them.

Can you imagine the student's mental struggle that takes place when they see a problem they want to solve but don't know how to begin? It can be very frustrating without the help of skilled math teachers to guide students with probing questions toward math problem-solving. Individual guidance to take them through a critical thinking process is key to helping them synthesize the necessary math skills needed to be successful in their approach to problem-solving.

What Are the Four Key Approaches to Solving Math Problems?

There are many approaches to solving math problems. Here are four key strategies for solving math problems shared in this lesson:

• 
  Understanding the math problem - What is this all about?
  
• 
  Developing their plan - Make it their own.
  
• 
  Working the plan - Plan to work to achieve results.
  
• 
  The big reflection - Does this make sense?
  

Let's talk about each approach in detail.

Understanding the Math Problem(s)

It is important that the students work in pairs and/or small groups (cooperative learning) to create and use a detailed checklist of the following:

• 
  Read and reread the problem to understand what it is about, what is it asking for, and the context.
  
• 
  Describe or put the problem in their own words.
  
• 
  Visualize what the problem looks like.
  
• 
  Identify goals to solve the problem.
  
• 
  Identify information (required, extra, and missing).
  
• 
  Use appropriate resources, such as math and standard dictionaries, etc. to assist them in the correct math problem comprehension.
  
• 
  Recognize if there are any conditions and/or assumptions that need to be applied to the math problem to receive the commonsense results
  

Develop Their Plan

The students should have some time to try their plans and practice their calculations and solution estimates. Tell the students that mistakes and errors may occur and that it is part of the learning process. They should continue to work in pairs and/or small groups to share, explain, and discuss the strategies that they find to effectively solve the problem. It is healthy for them to explain WHY their individual plan might work because it requires them to restate the math problem(s)/implementation in their own words and stimulates further discussion regarding strategy.

Compliments should be encouraged from not only the math teacher but also among students for their effective strategy efforts to achieve the best reasonable plan. Build teamwork by creating common or different strategy groups. Those particular groups could reflect and share what they learned regarding the problem-solving. A checklist should be reviewed to make sure they have covered everything from the original math problem(s).

Here are some other strategies the students could use to solve math problems. Keep in mind that there are endless ways of using these strategic approaches individually or in combination. A very brief description of each is listed below:

• 
  Guess and Check - Guessing the answer to see if the estimate works
  
• 
  Organized Lists - Data-organizing chart to visually see the math problem's requirements and options
  
• 
  Patterns - Patterns sometimes observed in a chart or table or sample problems
  
• 
  Eliminating Possibilities - Process of using a system of elimination to achieve the correct solution by testing different cases and checking their validity
  
• 
  Logical Reasoning - Using Venn diagrams to show logic in reasoning to get the correct solution
  
• 
  Visual Aids - Picture, table, diagram, etc. to visually display the math sample problem(s) at different stage(s)
  
• 
  Using a Formula - Substituting values to find the solution(s)
  
• 
  Work Backward - Beginning with the end of the math problem to find the solution