Problem solving is one of the main competences we seek to teach students at school for use in their future lives. However, when dealing with mathematical problems, teachers encounter a wide variety of difficulties. To foster students' problem-solving skills, the authors developed "strategy keys." Strategy keys can serve as material to…

The importance of mathematical visual images is indicated by the introductory paragraph in the Statistics and Probability content strand of the Australian Curriculum, which draws attention to the importance of learners developing skills to analyse and draw inferences from data and "represent, summarise and interpret data and undertake…

Mathematics curriculum designers and policy decision makers are beginning to recognize the importance of problem solving, even at the earliest stages of mathematics learning. The Common Core includes sense making and perseverance in solving problems in its standards for mathematical practice for students at all grade levels. Incorporating problem…

This guide for teachers is a companion piece to the meta-analysis from the Center on Instruction, "Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities or Difficulty Learning Mathematics: A Synthesis of the Intervention Research". Based on the findings of this report, seven effective instructional practices were identified for teaching…

Many teachers and administrators have recognized that problem solving and reasoning represent two of the primary goals in the education of children. In order for teachers to achieve these goals, they must have appropriate materials available to them. This book includes materials to help teach and assess problem solving and reasoning. The first six…

This book addresses different types of thinking, including critical, creative, and analytical, and presents a variety of problem-solving strategies, along with specific ways they can be taught to students. The main emphases of the book are thinking and mathematics, problem solving, and the application of computational skills. The problem-solving…

Presents an activity for students in grades 7-10 (with ready-to-copy worksheets and overhead projector transparency masters) designed to develop the problem-solving skills of making and reading an organized list and searching for a pattern, and to provide practice in using the general heuristics of the problem-solving process. (JN)

Outlines four solution methods for the Mangoes Problem, discusses how middle school students have approached the problem, suggests generalizations of the problem, and gives an example of a related problem that can be used as an extension to explore the four strategies discussed. (MKR)

Offers heuristic arguments showing that a simple closed curve of specified length that encloses a maximum area must be a circle. Develops the problem by demonstrating that such an n-gon must be convex, that such a convex n-gon must be regular, and that such a simple closed curve must be a circle. (MDH)

Discusses the problem-solving heuristics of examining for special cases, utilizing dimensions to make sense of proposed solutions, and symmetry. Presents examples to illustrate the use of one or combinations of these heuristics. (MDH)

Focuses on the effects of the application of two problem-solving techniques--metacognitive and heuristic--on the achievement of students in the computation of creative mathematics problems. Results indicate that there was a significant difference in the achievement of experimental and control groups. Contains 24 references. (Author/ASK)

Because of the importance of problem-solving skills in mathematics instruction of children with learning disabilities, this article offers guidance on teaching heuristic global strategies, including use of analogy, annotating problems, detail analysis, deletion of details, detail sorting, symbolizing operations, and designating formulas. (DB)

Problem solving by example is an intermediate step toward mastering problem-solving heuristics. Discussed are problem-solving processes by using two problem examples. Emphasized are heuristics cataloging in a problem-solving log, and approaches to solutions, not the solutions themselves. (YP)

The teaching of problem solving begins the moment a child first enters school and the senior high school plays a major role in the development of this skill since a number of students terminate their formal education at the end of this period. This book combines suggestions for the teaching of problem solving with activities, problems, and…

Addresses NCTM recommendations regarding nonroutine problem solving. Illustrates general approaches, teacher discourse, and aims of problem solving via three nonroutine problems. Compares expert and novice approaches to problem solving and applies procedures endorsed by Polya regarding problem-solving strategies. Includes nine additional…