Simply Skilled in Second: The BEST Problem Solving Strategy EVER!

Does this sound familiar to you? Well...these are the exact questions and answers I have been asking and hearing for the past twenty-two years in my classroom.

I recently attended a four day Train-the-Trainer Guided Math Workshop in Washington D.C..

AMAZING.. Yes it was!

Anywhoo... I learned this INCREDIBLE strategy called...

The Three Reads Strategy for Problem Solving!

Can you say "Life Altering" or "Teach Altering"... well... this is it peeps!

Read on to see how The Three Reads Strategy is implemented...

1. Set the stage for your students to understand what is about to occur and explain the process.

Today we are going to solve some word problems. We are going to read the problem three times. Each time we read the problem I am going to ask you a specific question about the problem. First, you will LISTEN very carefully to the word problem, since you DON'T have it in front of you and I want you to listen and think what the problem is about (comprehension).

2. First Read: You read the PROBLEM STEM to your students. A stem is a word problem WITHOUT a question attached to it! Yeppers!

Ask... "What is this story about?"

3. Second Read: Display the question on your Smartboard or with your document camera. Tell the students that NOW they will listen for the math or numbers and units that are in the problem. Ask one of your students to read it aloud to the class (comprehending the math).

Ask what are the quantities or numbers in the story and how are they related? Discuss.

4. Third Read: Now have another student read the story aloud. Ask the students to THINK about any math questions that they can come up with to ASK about the problem stem. List all the possible questions your students come up with.

5. Choose a question that the class created and have them solve it in their notebook or on the COOL EDITABLE FREEBIE

I have for you below.

If you click on the Freebie link, I would love to have you as my Newsletter subscriber! I send out Fun Freebies with every monthly newsletter I send!

In a nutshell... your students will be

THE BOMB DIGGITY PROBLEM SOLVERS....

I am in AWE of how well my students have learned to problem solve since I have taught this strategy! Life Altering it IS! Give it a shot... I would love to know what you think and how your kiddos did with it!