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Mathematize It! [Grades 3-5]
Going Beyond Key Words to Make Sense of Word Problems, Grades 3-5
- Sara Delano Moore - Mathematics Consultant
- Kimberly Morrow-Leong
- Linda M. Gojak - Mathematics Consultant, NCTM Past-President
Online Video Included!
Corwin Mathematics Series
“The list of math books to truly synthesize what we know so far and what we need to know is a very short and exclusive list. Well, you can confidently add Mathematize It to this collection. Written by three of the most respected math educators today, the book zeros in on that often poorly traveled journey between the question and answer in problem solving. Mathematize It will be your go-to resource to install the mathematical play revolution in elementary classes everywhere!”
Suni Singh
Author of Pi of Life: the Hidden Happiness of Mathematics and Math Recess: Playful Learning in an Age of Disruption
Help students reveal the math behind the words
“I don’t get what I’m supposed to do!” This is a common refrain from students when asked to solve word problems.
Solving problems is about more than computation. Students must understand the mathematics of a situation to know what computation will lead to an appropriate solution. Many students often pluck numbers from the problem and plug them into an equation using the first operation they can think of (or the last one they practiced). Students also tend to choose an operation by solely relying on key words that they believe will help them arrive at an answer, which without careful consideration of what the problem is actually asking of them.
Mathematize It! Going Beyond Key Words to Make Sense of Word Problems, Grades 3-5 shares a reasoning approach that helps students dig into the problem to uncover the underlying mathematics, deeply consider the problem’s context, and employ strong operation sense to solve it. Through the process of mathematizing, the authors provide an explanation of a consistent method—and specific instructional strategies—to take the initial focus off specific numbers and computations and put it on the actions and relationships expressed in the problem.
Sure to enhance teachers’ own operation sense, this user-friendly resource for Grades 3–5
• Offers a systematic mathematizing process for students to use when solving word problems
• Gives practice opportunities and dozens of problems to leverage in the classroom
• Provides specific examples of questions and explorations for all four operations
(addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
• Demonstrates the use of concrete manipulatives to model problems with dozens of short videos
• Includes end-of-chapter activities and reflection questions
“This book is a must-have for anyone who has faced the challenge of teaching problem solving. The ideas to be learned are supported with a noticeably rich collection of classroom-ready problems, examples of student thinking, and videos. Problem solving is at the center of learning and doing mathematics. And so, Mathematize It! should be at the center of every teacher’s collection of instructional resources.”
“Finally! An answer for equipping students in making sense of word problems. Mathematize It! clarifies the challenges in problem solving and gives concrete steps and advice on understanding problem contexts and the mathematics involved. The examples, student work, and videos throughout the book bring ideas to life, and make their implementation doable. This is a must-read for every math teacher who desires their students to truly understand the role of mathematics in the world.”
“Leaving behind the procedures and the gimmicks, Mathematize It! will effectively help develop teachers’ understanding of problem types and the pedagogical techniques necessary to teach students how to solve problems through understanding. Using comprehension strategies and varied representations are key to student success with contextualized computation. The sandbox notes, structured techniques, and videos make this book very teacher friendly. The ideas are easily transferable to the mathematics classroom.”
