Mathematical Problem-Solving At Bowen State School

Our strategic focus on problem-solving is aimed at giving students many opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge learnt in Maths lessons in a different context, or real-life situation.

Problem-solving skills are explicitly taught at every year level. Teachers model the strategy, while sharing their thinking, as they solve the problem. Students are then given the opportunity to solve a similar problem independently, or in a small group.

Students in years one and two learn to use the following strategies:

• Draw a picture
• Use a number line
• Draw tally marks
• Use a Part-Part Whole Chart

Students in year three to six also learn to use the following strategies:

• Identify a sub-task in a multi-step problem
• Interpret two-way tables
• Predict rotations
• Use number patterns
• Use multiplicative relationships (MAD T Triangle)