Issues with Students Solving Word Problems
Word problems have become the basis for students to apply their learning. In addition, it is emphasized in standardizes tests to evaluate students and teachers. Children may be able to correctly compute equations, however when put in words students are at a stand still.
The child's reading ability plays a factor in this issue, along with providing effective instruction on how to solve word problems. In Susan Geofsky's article (2010) about the impossiblities of "real-life" word problems, she states that word problems is another genre, as writing is in English Language Arts, for teachers to focus on and properly teach. Just because the students are able to compute they are not necessarily able to solve related word problems. Students need to learn how to interpret the number story to their real-life situations.
Assignment #1
Reflect on your experiences about word problems in the discussions board.