Math Problem Solving in Action: Getting Students to Love Word Problems, Grades 3-5

In this new book from popular math consultant and bestselling author Dr. Nicki Newton, you’ll learn how to help students become more effective and confident problem solvers. Problem solving is a necessary skill for the 21st century but can be overwhelming for both teachers and students. Dr. Newton shows how to make word problems more engaging and relatable, how to scaffold them and help students with math language, how to implement collaborative groups for problem solving, how to assess student progress, and much more.

Topics include:

• Incorporating problem solving throughout the math block, connecting problems to students’ real lives, and teaching students to persevere;
• Unpacking word problems across the curriculum and making them more comprehensible to students;
• Scaffolding word problems so that students can organize all the pieces in doable ways;
• Helping students navigate the complex language in a word problem;
• Showing students how to reason about, model, and discuss word problems;
• Using fun mini-lessons to engage students in the premise of a word problem;
• Implementing collaborative structures, such as math literature circles, to engage students in problem solving;
• Getting the whole school involved in a problem-solving challenge to promote schoolwide effort and engagement; and
• Incorporating assessment to see where students are and help them get to the next level.

Each chapter offers examples, charts, and tools that you can use immediately. The book also features an action plan so that you can confidently move forward and implement the book’s ideas in your own classroom. Free accompanying resources are provided on the author's website, www.drnickinewton.com.