This course focuses on strengthening grade 3-6 students' use of tables, patterns, pictures, and diagrams as problem-solving tools. You'll learn the characteristics of effective problem solving instruction. All of the ideas, lessons and strategies in this course are designed to be implemented as part of an effective intermediate-level mathematics program.
Intermediate level students benefit greatly from time spent developing foundational level problem-solving skills. You'll learn powerful ways to make math problem solving relevant, meaningful, motivating and challenging for intermediate grade learners.
You will learn how to:
- Choose an operation will help students develop an understanding of which operation to use to solve a problem
- Find a pattern will move students from recognizing patterns to using them to understand relationships between numbers and solve problems
- When students make a table, they are developing important problem-solving skills: how to record data from a problem, look for a pattern, and determine the solution
- Drawing a picture or diagram enables students to visualize and solve problems
- To be effective problem solvers, students need to learn how to guess and check as they work towards solutions
Watch an excerpt from this course:
"I REALLY like the resources that are available so that I can try some of the same lessons in my own classroom!"
– L. Binder
"The videos in actual classrooms were very helpful to see some of the strategies in action. The downloadable print resources were also helpful."
– A. Rackow
"Great organization of the course information... Terrific strategies that will be easy to implement immediately..."
– K. Sheppard
"The printable resources are great! The course followed a clear and logical sequence. I liked seeing the ideas in action via the student videos."
– R. Merrill
