1. Introduction: Why are word problems so hard for kids to solve? Reading and
understanding a word problem often has a child confused before they even get to do
any mathematical processes. Singapore Math uses bar models or tape models to
crate a nice visual picture for students who need help working out their word
problems.
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2. Here is an overview of how Singapore Math approaches teaching math content to
students. Concrete objects students can see and touch help them understand exactly
what a problem means or is asking. The pictorial part of the model can be created
with pen and paper and drawn models. The abstract piece is last, and that’s when we
have out students complete actual mathematical processes and mental math.
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3. Here are five problems that often occur when working with math word problems.
Anne Newman, and Australian educator and researcher theorizes that 60% of errors
on a problem occur before a student can even get to the “math part” of a problem.
Using different models may help students avoid some of these errors.
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4. These are commonly used strategies that students and teachers use to try and solve
word problems. These work sometimes, but the idea we will look at next, bar
modeling, can be used across mathematical processes. In Singapore style math texts,
these models start in second grade and continue on through high school level
mathematics.
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Here is an example of how bar models can show a student what is happening
in the word problem. It gives a student a visual model that compares the two
numbers easily. Simply by looking at the bars you can tell a lot of information
about the numbers you are working with.
6. Here are some steps we can discuss about drawing and creating these models. If you
teach your students these steps, they can move toward being comfortable looking at
bar models and then making their own.
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7. This is another example of a bar model. Students can easily solve addition and
subtraction with basic part/whole bars. Both parts can easily be assigned value. The
whole can also be given, with one part given as well. These ways that part/whole bars
can be used for both processes.
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8. This is an example of a multiplication problem that can be solved using a bar model.
You can use them for basic facts or more complex problems. Let’s take a look how to
use these!
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9. Bar modeling is a great tool to use with your students when teaching a multitude of
mathematical practices. I hope it helps add some ideas to your current math
instruction.
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