Teaching Problem Solving Skills for Maths - Approach 3 from the EEF Evidence Store

What do you notice? - asking the right questions for thinking.

To help with problem solving it can help to model thinking aloud. Take time to reach an answer and enjoy the observations along the way, “let’s see how many more I need to fill my five-frame” “I can see one space is filled” Discussing maths tasks together without a sense of urgency.

Key language to use with children to promote problem solving skills:

What can you see?

I wonder why that happened?

I notice…………

How do you know?