Lynne McClure, Jennie Pennant, Bernard Bagnall and Liz Woodham

NRICH Project

Embedding Problem Solving in Our Classrooms: Engaging All

Learners 

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

http://nrich.maths.org/10865

EYFS: Tidyinghttp://nrich.maths.org/early-years

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

What is the mathematical knowledge needed to tackle this activity?

What problem-solving skills did you use?

Who would it be for?

Hundred Squarehttp://nrich.maths.org/2397

What is the mathematical knowledge needed to tackle this activity?

What problem-solving skills did you use?

Who would it be for?

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)

*

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

*

Problem-solving Skills

• Trial and improvement• Working systematically• Logical reasoning• Spotting patterns• Visualising• Working backwards• Conjecturing

Mystery Matrixhttp://nrich.maths.org/1070

Numbers 2-12. Only one number used exactly twice

The Problem-solving Process

• Stage 1: Getting started• Stage 2: Working on the problem• Stage 3: Going further• Stage 4: Concluding

1. 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

Coded Hundred Squarehttp://nrich.maths.org/6554

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

http://nrich.maths.org/10865