
Thinking Deeply about Primary Education
Standing Room Only – Deconstructing Word Problems by Gareth Metcalfe
Apr 19, 2025
29:55
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Quick takeaways
- Deconstructing word problems through gradual information revelation and visual aids significantly enhances students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Incorporating non-routine challenges allows students to develop deeper analytical skills by encouraging them to discern which information is relevant to solving a problem.
Deep dives
Four Key Principles of Deconstructing Word Problems
The importance of breaking down word problems into manageable parts is highlighted through four key principles. These principles include slowly revealing information, modeling questions with visual aids, making connections between different questions, and utilizing non-routine challenges. For example, by gradually revealing parts of a question about Zara making drinks with hidden information, students must think critically about what’s missing and how it affects the answer. This approach encourages deeper understanding and better problem-solving skills by prompting students to engage actively with the question structure.
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