Australian educator Dr Anne Newman’s research (1977) into successful problem solving found that students progress through 5 hurdles during problem solving, and when teaching numeracy, teachers need to incorporate these steps into their planning so that for students can become successful problem solvers!
So according to Newman’s 5 steps to solving a word problem research, students must use all 5 steps to solve word problems successfully. The 5 steps became known as Newman’s Prompts and included:
- Read the problem;
- Comprehend what is read;
- Carry out a mental transformation from the words of the question to the selection of an appropriate mathematical strategy;
- Apply the process skills demanded by the selected strategy; ( This is where Polya’s Problem Strategies come in) and
- Encode the answer in an acceptable written form.
As for George Polya’s strategies, well you’ll know them, they are used in every problem solving resource book I have ever used. they include:
They’re fantastic strategies for solving problems and included:
- Guess and check Look for a pattern
- Make an orderly list Draw a picture
- Eliminate possibilities Solve a simpler problem
- Use symmetry Use a model
- Consider special cases Work backwards
- Use direct reasoning Use a formula
- Solve an equation Be ingenious
I find these work brilliantly at STEP 4 of Newman’s Process.
We’ve used this Powerhouse Combination to create our Problem Solving resources. You’ll find a range of templates that can be used with any problem for any age group. Give them a whirl! If you’re looking for word problems they’ll be added separately soon!