1. Embedding Problem Solving in Our Classrooms: Engaging All Learners
Lynne McClure, Jennie Pennant, Bernard Bagnall and Liz Woodham NRICH Project

2. Developing Excellence in Problem Solving with Young Learners
Jennie Pennant’s article suggests we can support children in becoming competent and confident problem solvers in three main ways:
Through choice of task
Through structuring the problem-solving process
Through explicitly and repeatedly providing children with opportunities to develop key problem-solving skills
Refer back to this morning’s workshop when mentioned this article
This session will focus on these three issues

3. EYFS: Tidying http://nrich.maths.org/early-years
Consider choice of task first
Let delegates play with EYFS stuff and containers? Talk in pairs about questions could ask to promote mathematical thinking
Share copies of Tidying task one between two – one way of drawing out some mathematics from this kind of stuff

4. That Number Square! http://nrich.maths.org/8169

5. What is the mathematical knowledge needed to tackle this activity
What is the mathematical knowledge needed to tackle this activity? What problem-solving skills did you use? Who would it be for?

6. Hundred Square

7. What is the mathematical knowledge needed to tackle this activity
What is the mathematical knowledge needed to tackle this activity? What problem-solving skills did you use? Who would it be for?

8. Rich Tasks *
Have a relatively closed start but offer different responses and different approaches
Invite own questions
Combine fluency and reasoning
Reveal/provoke generalisations
Encourage collaboration and discussion
Are intriguing
May be accessible to all (LTHC)

9. Low Threshold High Ceiling*
Suitable for whole range
Low entry point
Lots of choices in
method
response
recording
Learners can show what they CAN do, not what they can’t
High ‘finish’ possible
Link back to EYFS Tidying, That Number Square! …

10. Problem-solving Skills
Trial and improvement
Working systematically
Logical reasoning
Spotting patterns
Visualising
Working backwards
Conjecturing

11. Mystery Matrix http://nrich.maths.org/1070
Fluency – knowing some factual stuff- helps with efficient calculations

12. Only one number used exactly twice
Numbers 2-12.
Only one number used exactly twice
What did you do first – how did you know?

13. The Problem-solving Process
Stage 1: Getting started
Stage 2: Working on the problem
Stage 3: Going further
Stage 4: Concluding
See next slide for more details

14. try a simpler case draw a diagram represent with model act it out
Getting started
try a simpler case draw a diagram
represent with model act it out
2. Working on the problem
visualise work backwards
reason logically conjecture
work systematically look for a pattern
trial and improvement
3. Going further
generalise verify prove
4. Concluding
communicate findings
evaluate
How well structured are the problem solving lessons?
What would need to happen for this to become embedded across your school?

15. Coded Hundred Square http://nrich.maths.org/6554
Have a go at task then consider structure of problem-solving process. How did what you did to tackle the task fit in with the four-stage process suggested?
NB Going further in this context could be about convincing yourself and others that your solution is correct

16. To Summarise …
We can support children in becoming competent and confident problem solvers in three main ways:
Through choice of task
Through structuring the problem-solving process
Through explicitly and repeatedly providing children with opportunities to develop key problem-solving skills
Refer back to this morning’s workshop when mentioned this article
This session will focus on these three issues