problem solving reading activities

Giant Story Problems: Reading Comprehension through Math Problem-Solving

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

This lesson focuses on reading comprehension skills as they apply to mathematics story problems, as well as on written and verbal mathematics communication skills. Working as a class, students read a story problem and answer a series of questions designed to bring out the essential points of the problem. Students then draw a picture on chart paper showing the details of the story problem. They write both an equation and a sentence to represent the problem. Finally, students repeat the process with new problems, working in small groups to create posters using images, text, and mathematical equations to represent a story problem.

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Sample Giant Story Problems : Use these sample problems for groups to solve.

From Theory to Practice

David and Phyllis Whitin talk about the value of writing in the mathematics curriculum in chapter one of Math Is Language Too: Talking and Writing in the Mathematics Classroom . They state that mathematics and language are both "ways for learners to make sense of their world" and that "writing and talking are ways that learners can make their mathematical thinking visible." One of the most concrete examples of mathematics as language is in the reading and solving of story problems. Story problems depend on reading comprehension skills for the development of successful problem-solving strategies. Having students collaborate on story problems gives them the opportunity to learn by talking, collaborating, and sharing ideas as they compare pictures, words, and numeric symbols for consistency. The Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, by The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, includes communication as a mathematics tool for all levels of learners and suggests collaboration as especially beneficial for young learners. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 10. Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

General classroom supplies (chart paper, colored markers, white construction paper, glue, crayons, and pencils)

Sample Giant Story Problems

Preparation

• Prepare several appropriate story problems beforehand, either by using a large word-processing font or by writing them by hand. Story Problems should be on individual pieces of paper so that each group will receive only one story problem, and so that each group receives a different problem. More story problems can be written by the teacher, photocopied and enlarged from workbooks, or found online.
• Prepare heterogeneous groups, balanced with student strengths according to problem-solving, drawing, and writing skills.

Student Objectives

Students will

• participate in a shared problem-solving activity.
• collaborate in small groups to develop a problem-solving strategy.
• use drawings, words, and equations to model solutions to story problems.
• effectively and clearly explain their problem-solving strategies to other students.
• write about and reflect on their problem-solving strategies.

Session One

• Post chart paper on the wall and gather students together near it. Inform them that they will work together to solve a math story, and that later they’ll work in groups to solve their own.
• Start with a completely blank chart paper so that students can see the entire process.
• What is this story problem about?
• How many [subjects/objects] are there to begin with?
• What is happening to these [subjects/objects]?
• As students identify the information, highlight or underline the information that will be needed to solve the problem.
• When important words and numbers have been highlighted, work through the story problem item by item to create a drawing that models the story. Have students volunteer to do the drawings on the chart paper. All pertinent information should be illustrated. For example, in a story problem about three people who have four cookies each, the drawing would show three people, each with four cookies. Any details will be up to the students doing the drawing.
• When the drawing is finished, review with students the language of the story problem and compare it to the drawing, checking for accuracy: "Does this picture show what it says in the story?" Ask for an equation or number sentence that will show what the drawing says and which will solve the problem. If a student suggests an incorrect equation, write it on the board (not on the chart paper) and ask students to tell why it will or will not work. When a student states a correct equation, compare it with the drawing, then have him or her write it under the drawing with a marker after other students agree that the equation will work.
• Ask students to find the actual question in the story problem that needs to be answered: "What does this story want to know?" Read it aloud. Ask for a complete sentence that answers the question. When a sentence has been agreed upon that includes specific information (e.g., the subject's name, the numbers involved, the items' names, etc.), have a student write the sentence under the equation, using conventional capitalization and punctuation, and writing all numbers as words (i.e., instead of writing "20" a student would write "twenty") to facilitate correct spelling of number words.
• Review all parts of the chart, and leave it posted for Session Two. Samples of student work can be found at Giant Story Problems .

Session Two

• glue problem on paper
• read story problem
• underline important words
• write equation
• write sentence
• Have students get into groups. Each group will need one sheet of white construction paper (12x18), crayons, writing materials, and one story problem. (Every group should have a different problem.) If desired, assign each group a leader whose job it would be to make sure everyone in the group is participating.
• While students work to solve their story problems, circulate among the groups to ask questions and make sure everyone is participating in the process. If students are having difficulty, try to ask leading questions rather than give them specific help with a strategy. If it appears that students are using an inappropriate strategy, help them refer back to the language of the story problem. As they work, let them know that they will be sharing their work with the class.
• When all groups are finished, have students share their posters with the whole class, explaining their drawing by referring to their story problem, and telling why their mathematical solution will work to solve the problem.
• How did drawing a picture help you solve the story problem?
• What was the most interesting thing about this lesson?
• Display all the Giant Story Problems on the wall.
• Have students meet in groups to write their own story problems, then have the groups exchange problems to solve.
• Have students practice spelling number words at FunBrain .
• Prepare additional "giant" story problems to keep in a basket for students to work on at a math center or during choice time.
• Photocopy "regular-sized" story problems from workbooks, cut them up individually, and put them in a basket for students to choose from. These can be used by individual students using the same procedure as "giant" story problems, but on regular-sized paper.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Teacher observation of whole group participation.
• Teacher observation of small group participation.
• Student explanations of their strategies.
• Quality of student group work.
• Quality of individual student follow-up work, including clarity of ideas and details in written work.

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Reading as Problem Solving/Impact of Higher Order Thinking

Reading is essentially a problem-solving task. Comprehending what is read, like problem solving, requires effort, planning, self-monitoring, strategy selection, and reflection. As students move through school, reading materials become more complex, thus more effortful. Students who approach reading as a problem solving activity take an active and strategic approach to reading, and are metacognitively aware of how well they understand what they read.

Here are some strategies to enhance students’ comprehension by focusing on problem solving skills.

Helpful Hints

• Provide students with guidance in using various reading comprehension strategies, such as paraphrasing and summarizing techniques. For example, when teaching paraphrasing and summarizing, provide information about differentiating main ideas from supporting details, knowing what to include or exclude, condensing a long passage into a brief restatement, etc.  
• Discuss the benefits of various reading comprehension strategies with students. Have students choose a strategy to use during an activity and then rate its effectiveness in helping their reading comprehension.  
• Provide a wide variety of texts for students to read. Discuss how certain strategies may be best suited for certain types of texts, e.g., textbooks, narratives, poetry, newspaper articles, etc.  
• Ask students to write down the reading comprehension strategy or strategies they will use before they start their reading, for example, using guiding questions, underlining important details, summarizing after each paragraph, etc.  
• Show students how you elaborate on a reading passage by making connections between the text and your prior knowledge about the topic.  
• Cite the story evidence you used to make an inference or draw a conclusion when reading.  
• Describe a picture that you created in your mind to help you understand and remember what you read.  
• Encourage students to preview reading passages. For example, have students write down or talk about what they think a passage will be about before they read it, or have them preview questions that go along with the passage before reading, etc.  
• Encourage students to self-monitor while they read by giving them guiding questions, such as: “Does what I’ve read make since to me so far?,” “Do I need to re-read any parts, or talk with someone to help me understand?,” etc.  
• Help students learn how to pace, or control, the tempo of their reading rate by having them think about the time they have to read a given passage, and the time needed to achieve full comprehension. Students may compare “easy” passages with ‘difficult’ passages, noticing the “difficult” passage may require a slower pace.

Problem and Solution

Through close reading passages, text marking activities,and using story maps, plot paths, problem-and-solution worksheets, and other skill-building activities, students get practice identifying problem and solution in both fiction and nonfiction texts. 

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• Mar 23, 2023

Cool Reading Games and Activities to Improve Comprehension

Updated: Mar 25, 2023

Do you want to ensure that your students or children get the most out of their reading? Reading is an essential part of life and vital for educational success. However, learning can become dull and tedious if not done in a way that engages readers.

Fortunately, plenty of enjoyable games and activities will help reinforce learning and make it fun! In this blog post, we'll explore some cool reading games and activities to boost comprehension skills creatively!

Make a Story Map

Creating a story map is an engaging way to help children develop their reading comprehension skills. Start by drawing a map of the book's setting, which could be an imaginary land or a familiar location like their school or neighborhood. Next, encourage the young readers to fill in the various characters that live in this world, as well as the plot and other significant elements of the story.

This interactive and creative activity allows children to visualize the story more vividly while fostering a deeper understanding of how the different aspects of the story connect. Moreover, this hands-on learning approach enhances children's comprehension and makes reading a fun and memorable experience for them. So, grab some pencils and paper, gather the kids, and embark on a thrilling journey through their favorite stories with the help of story maps!

Click here for a free story map printable!

Host a Book Club

Starting a Book Club with your child can be a fun and rewarding experience for both of you, as it not only encourages reading as a shared hobby but also helps to improve reading comprehension. To get started, invite your little one to choose a book or series that piques their interest; this will catalyze future conversations.

Set aside time each week for a relaxed and friendly discussion about the characters, plot, and what aspects of the story your child liked and didn't like. You can also explore the lessons and themes the book may offer.

By fostering a safe and engaging environment where they can freely express their thoughts and ideas, you'll strengthen your bond with your child and empower them with essential comprehension skills they can carry with them throughout their lives.

Create a Story Detective Game

Imagine an exciting new way to boost your child's reading comprehension skills – introducing the Story Detective Game! This innovative and engaging game combines intriguing mysteries with captivating stories, creating an interactive learning experience. We make clues from the story that the children must use to solve a mystery. As they embark on their literary detective journey, kids will be encouraged to pay close attention to the details, analyze them, and make connections.

The friendly nature of the game fosters a love for reading while sharpening their problem-solving skills. Watch as your little detectives grow into avid readers, eager to uncover the hidden secrets waiting for them between the pages of every book!

Act Out Characters

Encourage your child's creativity and imagination while supporting their reading comprehension skills with a fun and engaging activity: acting out their favorite book characters! Choose a favorite story, grab some cozy blankets or simple costumes to bring the characters to life, and watch your little one transform into their favorite heroes, villains, or magical creatures.

As you read the story together, let your child re-enact key scenes, allowing them to delve deeper into the plot and empathize with the characters. This playful activity can be a planned skit, complete with funny dialogue, or simply an impromptu game of charades.

By bringing the magic of storytelling into their world, your child will strengthen their reading comprehension and enjoy a memorable bonding experience with you!

Reading Relay

Imagine the excitement of combining a relay race with reading comprehension! The Reading Relay game is a fantastic way to engage learners and make reading fun. Simply divide your group into two teams, and have them take turns reading passages aloud from a chosen text.

As each participant finishes their portion of the reading, they pass the book on to the next person on their team, much like a relay race. This exciting method of teaching reading comprehension builds teamwork and a sense of friendly competition.

The thrill of racing towards the finish line keeps participants actively involved and motivated to understand and read the passages quickly and accurately. So, gather your group, and let the Reading Relay race begin!

Board Games

Isn't it wonderful how we can have so much fun while learning and improving our skills at the same time? That's precisely what you'll experience when you explore the world of board games that support literacy and reading comprehension. Fan favorites like Scrabble and Bananagrams offer an exciting challenge for players to flex their minds and create words using a limited selection of letters.

But did you know there are story-based games like Stuffed Fables and Tall Tales Story Telling Board Game that take you on a thrilling journey? Not only do these games engage your child's creative skills, but they also help you enhance your reading comprehension abilities. So, let's dive into this exciting realm and discover how these engaging board games can bring joy and learning together in a delightfully entertaining way!

Show Your Kids that Reading is Fun!

Teaching your child the skills to be a proficient reader does not have to be complicated or tedious. By choosing fun, interactive activities such as making a story map, hosting a book club, creating a story detective game, having your child act out characters, playing a reading relay game, and using board games that support literacy and reading comprehension, you can make it enjoyable while still effectively teaching the fundamentals of reading.

Through these activities, you will foster a developing love for literature in your children, laying the foundation for an appreciation of books later in life. Furthermore, these techniques offer methods for reinforcing already learned fundamentals as well as learning an overall understanding of the content, which aids in future writing endeavors.

Reading does not just happen on its own; your involvement is essential if you want your child to benefit from all the educational opportunities that come with it.

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NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists

A Closer Look

In this section.

• Supporting Mental Health of Autistic Individuals
• Five Tips for BIPs
• What’s the New Shiny Thing? Making Data-Based Decisions About Technology Use
• Transitional Planning: Is Guardianship the Answer?
• 5 Things I Wish I Knew About Writing Consumer-Friendly Psychoeducational Reports
• Addressing the Needs of Immigrant and Refugee Students: Inclusive Mental Health Interventions in Diverse School Settings
• Effective Responses to Challenging Behaviors: Building Student Connection and Improving Behavioral Health
• Specialized Assessments for Special Populations: Use of Teleassessments for Rural and Multilingual Children
• Family–School Partnerships: Five Tips for Successful Problem Solving With Parents
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective Schools: How School Psychologists Can Promote School Change
• Five Considerations for Developing Suicide Prevention Supports in the Schools
• Pitfalls of Using Translation and Interpretation Services in Schools
• How to Prepare for an Evaluation for a Student With Visual Impairments
• Advocacy in the Face of Adversity
• Postsecondary Transition for Autistic Adults
• Working With Spoken Language Interpreters in Educational Settings
• Mission MTSS: Two Easy Ways to Use Statistics to Analyze Data
• Simple, Summative Skills: Incorporating Brief Positive Psychology Practice Into Your Day
• Creating the Psychologically Safe Learning Environment
• Get Out of the Testing Rut: Expanding Your School Psychology Role by Understanding Your District's Needs
• Oral Reporting of Assessment Results for Maximum Impact
• Culturally Responsive Interviewing: Proactive Strategies for BIPOC Students
• Beyond Self-Care Sunday: Four Surprising Ways to Prevent School Psychologist Burnout
• Five Clues in Your Data: Identifying Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Five Questions Intern Supervisors Should Ask New Interns
• Restorative, Collaborative Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans
• School Psychologists Should Embrace Telecounseling as an Option in the Post COVID-19 World
• Stress and Anxiety: I’m Not Just the Presenter, I’m Also a Client
• Social Media and Crisis Intervention: Opportunity and Danger
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Problem-Solving the Complexities of Reading Comprehension

Being able to comprehend written text is an essential life skill. Consider all the ways in which one uses reading comprehension skills in everyday life. Everything from reading the comics in the newspaper and social media online to reading the voter's pamphlet or a job application are impacted by one's comprehension skills. Because of its importance, school psychologists need to understand which reading and language skills are critical to the development of reading comprehension.

It probably won't come as a surprise that reading comprehension is a complex construct consisting of several component skills and processes that work together in an integrated, and often synergistic, fashion. As such, when it comes to understanding reading comprehension problems, we may need to untangle the variety of reasons why a student might struggle.

The Complex Nature of Reading Comprehension Problems

Some of the reasons students experience reading comprehension difficulties include poor basic skills in phonemic awareness and decoding. While these basic skills may impede reading development, students may exhibit reading comprehension problems for reasons beyond these basic skills, for example, vocabulary and higher order language skills (e.g., figurative language). In what follows, I describe how several skills beyond phonemic awareness and decoding contribute to comprehension development as well as difficulties with comprehension.

Reading fluency. A student's reading fluency must be sufficient to support comprehension and focus their attention on understanding the meaning of text, rather than on decoding words. Fluent readers not only read words accurately and effortlessly, they simultaneously integrate understanding of vocabulary and background knowledge and attend to prosodic cues (i.e., they read with expression) when reading connected text. As such, reading fluency is not merely about speed, but rather the quality of reading.

Vocabulary and word knowledge. Vocabulary impacts comprehension directly with respect to the understanding of text and indirectly because knowing a word's meaning impacts word recognition fluency. A strong vocabulary makes it easier for students to understand text and become fluent while reading. Breadth of vocabulary knowledge is related to background knowledge. Greater background knowledge helps students comprehend more challenging text. Notably, vocabulary is one of the largest contributors to reading comprehension skill. Work by Stahl and Nagy (2006) suggests that vocabulary knowledge contributes 50–60% of the variance in reading comprehension outcomes. Students with more poorly developed vocabulary show declining comprehension skills later on in elementary and middle school. Oral language is a fundamental building block for learning. Students who come from a rich spoken language environment often have less difficulty comprehending text.

Syntax and grammar. Students with comprehension difficulties tend to have more difficulty with word order (Mokhtari & Thompson, 2006) as well as difficulties in correcting sentences or grammatical errors (Cain & Oakhill, 2007). Knowledge of syntax and grammar aids student comprehension by providing greater ease with:

• chunking sentences into meaningful units,
• making sure decoding is accurate so they can fix decoding errors quickly and not disrupt the flow of their reading,
• verifying the meaning of unfamiliar words, and
• clarifying meaning of ambiguous words, or words with multiple meanings.

Morphological awareness. Ways in which knowledge of morphology aids student comprehension include:

• increased vocabulary as students make connections between root words and the new words created by adding prefixes and suffixes (e.g., act + ion = action; re + act = react; re + act + ion = reaction);
• increased knowledge of syntax and grammatical understanding; and
• increased fluency in reading connected text, which frees up cognitive resources that can then be allocated for comprehension.

Story coherence/text structure awareness. These elements involve a student's skill in following the organization of a passage, as well as identification of antecedents and referents in text. Story coherence is related to the quality of a story, the structural elements of it, and how these elements relate to one another in a meaningful way. This skill is logically connected to a student’s standard of coherence, which is related to the expectation that text should make sense (Perfetti & Adlof, 2012) and the extent to which the reader notices when it does not and makes efforts to maintain coherence (van den Broek, 2012). Students who struggle with comprehension tend to have difficulty producing a well-structured and integrated story, identifying the main event or main point (Yuill & Oakhill, 1991), as well as correctly sequencing stories (Cain & Oakhill, 2006). Inferences made about what will happens next in a story (i.e, prediction) also should support story coherence (Perfetti & Adlof, 2012).

Important Characteristics of Reading Comprehension Diagnostic Measures

So how might we pinpoint student difficulties in these critical component skill areas? One way to do so is by using diagnostic tools that directly assess them and can be linked to targeted intervention. Pinpointing instructional needs in these critical areas can provide students the keys to unlocking the power of reading comprehension. In addition, assessment should be as time efficient as possible, so that more time may be allocated to intervention. Furthermore, assessment is most informative when it provides an opportunity to directly observe the student performing the skill of interest and affords opportunities to examine what prompting and teaching procedures elicit correct responding. Finally, the assessment should be valid and reliable for the decisions that the results will be used to make. One example of an assessment that fits these characteristics is Acadience Reading Diagnostic Comprehension, Fluency, and Oral Language (CFOL). [1]

Resources for Reading Comprehension Instruction and Intervention

Several free resources address reading interventions by essential skill (e.g., phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary). Examples of these sources include the Florida Center for Reading Research (see Student Center Activities ), Free Reading (see Find Activities ), Reading Rockets (see Target the Problem ), and the Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts (see Materials ).

An additional free resource for improving language and reading comprehension is called Let's Know! , which is available from the Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC) at Ohio State University. This 25-week curriculum supplement is available for free download from their website and is available in both English and Spanish (see https://larrc.ehe.osu.edu/curriculum/ ).

Beyond these material resources, freely available webinars and trainings on these topics exist. Examples include the following:

• Video series containing from Nancy Lewis Hennessy on the Comprehension Construction Zone: A Blueprint for Instruction posted at Middle Tennessee State University, available here .
• IDA conference recording – Reading Comprehension Strategies for Students With Dyslexia , available here .
• IDA sponsored webinar on Supporting Comprehension Through Writing About Reading: Instructional Suggestions, available here .

Related Webinar:  Problem-Solving the Complexities of Reading Comprehension

Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2006). Profiles of children with specific reading comprehension difficulties. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76 (4), 683–696.

Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2007). Reading comprehension difficulties: Correlates, causes, and consequences. In K. Cain & J. Oakhill (Eds.), Children’s comprehension problems in oral and written language: A cognitive perspective (pp. 41–75). Guilford.

Mokhtari, K. & Thompson, H. B. (2006). How problems of reading fluency and comprehension are related to difficulties in syntactic awareness skills among fifth graders. Reading Research Quarterly, 46 (1), 73–94.

Perfetti, C. A., & Adlof, S. M. (2012). Reading comprehension: A conceptual framework from word meaning to text meaning. In J. P. Sabatini, E. Albro, & T. O’Reilly (Eds.), Measuring up: Advances in how we assess reading ability (pp. 3–20). Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Stahl, S. A., & Nagy, W. E. (2006). Teaching word meanings. Erlbaum.

van den Broek, P. (2012). Individual and developmental differences in reading comprehension: Assessing cognitive processes and outcomes. In J. P. Sabatini, E. R. Albro, & T. O’Reilly (Eds), Measuring up: Advances in how to assess reading ability (pp. 39–58). Rowman & Littlefield.

Yuill, N. M, & Oakhill, J. V. (1991). Children’s problems in text comprehension: An experimental invesitigation. Cambridge University Press.

[1] Information about Acadience Reading Diagnostic CFOL is available through emailing [email protected] or going to the Acadience Learning website: www.acadiencelearning.org

About the Author

• Our Mission

A Game-Changing Practice Fuses Math and Literacy

A program that scaffolds math with reading and writing has a formerly struggling elementary school in the Bronx dramatically outperforming the state in math.

When Concourse Village Elementary School (CVES) opened in 2013 in the wake of the planned phaseout of P.S. 385, which the New York City Department of Education had tagged with a D, students were struggling academically.

“When we arrived, we found a major deficit across all content areas,” said incoming principal and school founder Alexa Sorden, who was particularly alarmed by the reading scores. “The first year was challenging because we were trying to come up with a plan and say, ‘OK, how are we going to make sure that all the children are reading on grade level so that they’re prepared?’”

Sorden, a former literacy specialist and teacher, felt that a strong foundation in reading and writing underpinned success across all content areas—and she made it the school’s mission to be literacy-first. Today, students employ collaborative literacy strategies to support science and social studies units, for example, and bring their narrative skills to bear while making predictions and inferences as they analyze artwork .

In mathematics, a subject area not traditionally associated with literacy, Concourse Village has developed an especially innovative model that reinforces both reading and computational skills. Students tackle tough mathematical word problems through two literacy strategies: a group reading exercise that relies on what Sorden calls “the power of repeated reading,” and a problem-solving procedure developed by Exemplars, Inc , along with the problems, that requires students to produce an organized body of written artifacts.   

Despite the statistics stacked against them—the school is situated in the poorest congressional district in the nation , and 96 percent of children at CVES are on free and reduced lunch, while 15 percent are homeless—students are now outperforming the averages in both New York State English and math exams by over 40 percent .

What are the details of the math program? We visited the school and spoke to Sorden and fourth-grade mathematics teacher Blair Pacheco at length, and we provide an outline and some video of the school’s practices below.

Translating Math Into Words, and Back Into Numbers

In math classes, CVES students approach challenging word problems by reading, annotating, and writing to tease out the meaning—breaking the problems down into smaller parts and using the power of storytelling and narrative to bolster their insights. Word problems are above grade level to ensure that students are stretching to master difficult concepts.

Before considering solutions to a problem, the students start small by trying to clarify what it is actually saying. Numbers and questions are stripped out, and the class uses a three-read protocol that fosters both group and individual learning: The teacher reads the problem, then the students read it, and then everyone reads it together.

“Sometimes when kids see numbers, they start to get confused,” said Pacheco. “If we take out those numbers for a brief moment, they’re reading it as a story and they’re getting that understanding. It’s no longer just about math.”

For example, in one of Pacheco’s classes, students read: “Jaci and Emma are playing a game on their computer where a player earns points.” Students relay the gist of the story back to the teacher, who writes it on the board for reference.

The word problem—now with numbers included, but still without the questions that ask students to perform calculations or mathematical comparisons—is then shown on the interactive whiteboard, and the students read it aloud and process the information together.

One student annotates the word problem on the board with input from the class—underlining important information, including numbers and key words. In the example from Pacheco’s class, students underline the repeated word round  to indicate that there will likely be several rounds of numbers that might require a comparison or a computation.

Based on the annotations, students then create a “What I Know” chart as a class. For example, Pacheco’s students agree on how many points each player made in each round.

Using the information they have already identified, students hypothesize about what questions might be asked. For example, Pacheco’s students might guess that the question would ask the total number of points for all rounds. Brainstorming possible questions requires students to call on prior knowledge about what they can do with the numbers—compare through greater or lesser than or equal signs, for example, or compute by adding or subtracting.

Finally, the actual question is revealed on the board—and the class reads the whole problem aloud.

From Group to Independent Problem-Solving

After rereading the above-grade-level problem as a class, each student receives a word problem printout differentiated based on their ability. Students work through a five-step problem-solving procedure based on the reading protocol they use as a class. They work independently, or in small groups if they need more support. A checklist of the steps guides them through the problem.

Students scaffold their understanding—and make it visible to themselves and their teachers—by underlining important words, circling the question the problem is asking, and then writing an “I Have To” statement that clarifies what the student must do to arrive at the answer. For example, a student might write, “I have to find out who made the most points in each round.”

Then each student devises a mathematical strategy to solve the problem. They might write, “I will use addition,” “I will multiply,” or “I will use the comparison strategy.”

Finally students solve the problem and double-check their work. They write their answer in a complete sentence, put a box around it, and label it “answer.” They write out an explanation of how they solved the problem using at least two math words, like multiply  and add , and then write a complete sentence making connections to previous math they have learned. They might comment on an observation they made, a pattern or rule they found, a different strategy they could have used, or a comparison they noticed. Writing their takeaways in words reinforces their prior knowledge and how it can be applied in new ways.

“We ask them to make their thinking visible,” says Sorden, explaining the rationale behind all the writing in her school’s math courses. “Create a plan. Make your thinking visible and clear on paper so that anyone that picks it up is able to make meaning about what you were trying to share. We want them to be able to communicate orally and in writing so that their ideas are clearly communicated with the world.”

The problem-solving procedure and math tasks that CVES uses were developed by Exemplars , a company that provides a library of rich performance tasks and professional development for K-12 schools.

Problem and Solution for First Grade

• Read Alouds , Reading & Literacy

Being able to easily identify the problem and solution in a story is a foundational reading comprehension skill for first grade students.

It's an activity that can be done with every single read aloud.

It can (and should) be done whole group, in small group, with partners, in literacy stations and during independent reading.

It's also a great skill for parents to work on at home. 

Describing the problem includes:

• Identifying the problem the character(s) is experiencing in the beginning of the story
• Asking questions and making predictions about possible upcoming events and about possible ways to solve the problem
• Understanding how the events and characters influence the problem throughout the story

Describing the solution includes: 

• Confirming or revising predictions about the resolution
• Explaining how the resolution solves the problem
• Describing what happens to the character(s) because of the resolution

Examples of Problem and Solution

You might be totally comfortable with the topic of problem and solution, but when we are in the moment in front of 22 little faces, sometime we blank! 

It's time to give our students examples of what Problem and Solution is…

but we've got nothing! 

It helps to think of a few examples ahead of time and jot them down. 

Examples of problem and solution work best if the are real life examples that the students can relate to! 

Here's a few examples from the school day: 

• Your pencil breaks
• You can't find your book
• You forgot your lunch
• You can't remember the directions
• You left your jacket on the playground
• You don't know how to tie your shoes
• You need a supply that another student is using

By using these real-life examples, you are not only teaching problem and solution, but you are reinforcing your classroom management as well!

How to Introduce Problem and Solution for First Grade

If you teach lower elementary, then you know that there is SO much that goes into the comprehension of a book. First grade students are learning so much at this age and even listening comprehension requires their little brains to work so hard.

Why do I bring this up?

Because I want you to think about how hard they are ALREADY working when they are listening to a read aloud and when you use a mentor text to introduce a NEW SKILL, most students’ brains go into overload!

So what should we do instead?

Start with a non-text activity. Let me introduce you to a new kind of “slideshow”. 

I like to use interactive slideshows/powerpoints. My slideshows always follow this order: 

• Teaching Slides: Introduces students to WHAT the skill is
• Guided Practice: Introduces students to HOW to apply the skill
• Interactive Practice: Gives students an example and allows them to PRACTICE the skill in an easy and concise way

Problem and Solution Non-Text Activities for First Grade

After we practice the slideshow, then we practice building our problem and solution muscles with some guided and independent practice using a NON-TEXT ACTIVITY such as a station game.

Non-text activities are a HUGE asset to students because it allows them to build and flex their problem and solution muscles before we ask them to apply those skills to a text! 

How to Complete the Activity

We will do this activity together as a group first, then it will move into our guided reading stations where students will complete it independently!

I've found the best and easiest way to do this is with images of problems/solutions that my first grade students know a lot about. 

My students do this Problem and Solution activity (seen on the right). We do one together as a class for guided practice. 

For this activity, students must correctly match the problem and solution. Then I have students write about the problem and solution with an emphasis on why the solution actually works for this problem.

After we do this activity together, it goes into their stations for Guided Reading. 

The best part about this activity is that you can leave it out for several weeks because each time students can choose a new set of pictures! 

Mentor Texts for Problem and Solution

A mentor text is an incredibly powerful tool for teaching reading comprehension skills! 

(make sure you keep reading to the end of this post to see a list of my favorite mentor texts for problem & solution)

The problem that many teachers run into with mentor texts is that there are SO MANY different skills you can teach with the same mentor text….

Sometimes we try to do TOO MUCH and we overwhelm our students! 

Let me introduce you to a Comprehension Focus Question (CFQ). 

A CFQ is one question that you focus on through the entire text! 

It simplifies things for you and your students. (more on that later)…

But let's take a minute to dispel so myths about mentor texts..

A mentor text is NOT a book that you read once and put it away.

A mentor text is a book that you read once, then refer back to again and again and again.

The greatest benefit of a good mentor text is that after you have read it once, when you refer back to it, you aren’t reading the entire book again, you are simply referring back to one or two pages.

It will save you SO much time.

AND students are already familiar with the story line meaning that already have a foundation for whatever comprehension skill you are about to dive into!

How to Boost Comprehension for Problem & Solution

Comprehension Focus Questions

As I mentioned, a Comprehension Focus Question (CFQ) is a very focused and intentional comprehension goal for an activity, a week or even a unit.

If you have done your research and you understand your learning standard, the vocabulary and what students need to know…

Then it becomes very easy to choose a goal (or a comprehension focus question).

But, why do you need a comprehension goal?

To stay FOCUSED!

Not just for you, but for your students also!

Let’s look at an example. Let’s say that this week you are focusing on how to make an inference. Well, there are about a hundred different ways you can make an inference and a CFQ allows you to focus on one area at a time.

Example CFQ: “How Did The Character Change From ___ To ____?”

In this comprehension focus question, you and your students are focusing in on the characters of the story.

The great thing about CFQ’s is that the next time you pull out this mentor text, you can choose a different CFQ to focus on while still practicing how to make an inference!

Sentence Stems

Another great strategy that falls right in long with mentor texts and comprehension focus questions is sentence stems.

A sentence stem is a phrase that your first grade students will use to answer a comprehension question.

Sentence stems are designed to get students to answer comprehension questions more fully rather than giving one word answers.

Sentence stems encourage students to explain their thinking.

I like to have a list of sentence stems next to my table that are specific to each comprehension skill. I stick to one or two stems per skill for the entire year because I want my students to be consistent. (This also makes it a lot easier for them)

If we are sticking with our Make an Inference example, I would use the following sentence stems:

I Think ___ Because____.   

I Read This ____ So I Think _____

Problem and Solution Activities for First Grade

All of the activities that you found in this post, both printable and digital, along with UNIT LESSON PLANS can be found in my Problem and Solution Bundle here.

You can save up to 20% by purchasing the items together, but you can also purchase individual items to better fit your needs!

Best Books for Problem and Solution

**You can use the recording sheet from the Problem and Solution station with all of these read alouds!

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Kristen Sullins

I am a current Elementary Librarian and Enrichment Teacher, mother of two, follower of Christ and Texas native. In my own classroom, I love to save time by finding unique ways to integrate writing, social studies and science into all parts of my day. I also love all things organization!

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Problem-solving skills are necessary in all areas of life, and classroom problem solving activities can be a great way to get students prepped and ready to solve real problems in real life scenarios. Whether in school, work or in their social relationships, the ability to critically analyze a problem, map out all its elements and then prepare a workable solution is one of the most valuable skills one can acquire in life.

Educating your students about problem solving skills from an early age in school can be facilitated through classroom problem solving activities. Such endeavors encourage cognitive as well as social development, and can equip students with the tools they’ll need to address and solve problems throughout the rest of their lives. Here are five classroom problem solving activities your students are sure to benefit from as well as enjoy doing:

1. Brainstorm bonanza

Having your students create lists related to whatever you are currently studying can be a great way to help them to enrich their understanding of a topic while learning to problem-solve. For example, if you are studying a historical, current or fictional event that did not turn out favorably, have your students brainstorm ways that the protagonist or participants could have created a different, more positive outcome. They can brainstorm on paper individually or on a chalkboard or white board in front of the class.

2. Problem-solving as a group

Have your students create and decorate a medium-sized box with a slot in the top. Label the box “The Problem-Solving Box.” Invite students to anonymously write down and submit any problem or issue they might be having at school or at home, ones that they can’t seem to figure out on their own. Once or twice a week, have a student draw one of the items from the box and read it aloud. Then have the class as a group figure out the ideal way the student can address the issue and hopefully solve it.

3. Clue me in

This fun detective game encourages problem-solving, critical thinking and cognitive development. Collect a number of items that are associated with a specific profession, social trend, place, public figure, historical event, animal, etc. Assemble actual items (or pictures of items) that are commonly associated with the target answer. Place them all in a bag (five-10 clues should be sufficient.) Then have a student reach into the bag and one by one pull out clues. Choose a minimum number of clues they must draw out before making their first guess (two- three). After this, the student must venture a guess after each clue pulled until they guess correctly. See how quickly the student is able to solve the riddle.

4. Survivor scenarios

Create a pretend scenario for students that requires them to think creatively to make it through. An example might be getting stranded on an island, knowing that help will not arrive for three days. The group has a limited amount of food and water and must create shelter from items around the island. Encourage working together as a group and hearing out every child that has an idea about how to make it through the three days as safely and comfortably as possible.

5. Moral dilemma

Create a number of possible moral dilemmas your students might encounter in life, write them down, and place each item folded up in a bowl or bag. Some of the items might include things like, “I saw a good friend of mine shoplifting. What should I do?” or “The cashier gave me an extra $1.50 in change after I bought candy at the store. What should I do?” Have each student draw an item from the bag one by one, read it aloud, then tell the class their answer on the spot as to how they would handle the situation.

Classroom problem solving activities need not be dull and routine. Ideally, the problem solving activities you give your students will engage their senses and be genuinely fun to do. The activities and lessons learned will leave an impression on each child, increasing the likelihood that they will take the lesson forward into their everyday lives.

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Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Reading Activities For Struggling Readers

If you’re a teacher working with students who are struggling to read, you know it can be a very frustrating experience for both you and the student.  And if you’re the parent of a struggling reader, you’re frustrated as well. You realize how important it is to develop a strong foundation in reading early on, but you may not know what to do to help.

Though there isn’t a definitive explanation as to why some children struggle to read while others find it easy, part of the reason is the brain in a child who has difficulty reading is different than the brain of a proficient reader.  These children may have reading disabilities (though that isn’t always the case) and will need extra support to catch up.

However, all children will benefit from the following strategies.

What Parents Can Do

One of the most important things a parent can do is to read to their child. But simply reading to them isn’t enough.  When a child is struggling to read other strategies are needed.

If comprehension is a problem, make sure you ask plenty of questions as you read the story.  “How do you think the boy feels right now?  Look at his face.  Does he look sad or happy?”  This can help with understanding that pictures often give clues to what is going on in a story.

When shopping point out words to your child.  Pick up a carton of orange juice and say, “What word do you think says juice?”

Give your child magazines and have them circle certain words like “and” and “the” every time they appear on a page.

Remember patience and understanding is critical.  If children feel you’re disappointed or think they aren’t trying hard enough, they’re likely to stop trying in your presence.  This can carry on to the classroom as well.

A Teacher Strategy –Working With Phonemes

It’s now widely accepted that proper phonics instruction is crucial to reading.  Here is a fun activity that involves manipulating phonemes.

Review with students that all words are composed of letters and these letters make individual sounds (phonemes.)  Explain to students they will be playing a listening game and the goal is to change a word by taking out or adding different phonemes to parts of the word.

Call out a word. For example, take .

• Ask students to remove one sound (the k sound, for example) and add another sound (like the l sound) to what’s left over creating the word tail.
• Say the new word tail together and ask students to remove and add another phoneme sound (change the t to j and create the word jail.)
• Continue playing until all the letter sounds have been replaced.

This game allows children to “hear it for themselves” and recognize that changing letters in the word not only creates a brand new word but creates a brand new meaning as well.  The word take not only looks different than the word jail, the two have entirely different meanings.  Just another way to reinforce the core principle of the written language – that letters have sounds, that sounds make words, and that words make meaning.

Educationise

Engaging Problem-Solving Activities That Spark Student Interest

In today’s educational landscape, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills is paramount. As educators, we aim to cultivate a generation of students who excel not only academically but also in navigating real-world challenges with creativity and confidence. In this article, we’ll explore a range of engaging problem-solving activities crafted to captivate students’ interest and promote active learning across various subjects. From STEM design challenges to literature-based dilemmas, these hands-on activities are meticulously tailored to inspire curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking in the classroom .

1. Escape Room Challenge: The Lost Treasure

Follow the steps below to implement this activity in the class:

• Introduce the escape room challenge and set the scene with a captivating treasure hunt theme.
• Transform the classroom into an immersive escape room environment with hidden clues and puzzles.
• Divide students into teams and provide instructions for the challenge, emphasizing teamwork and problem-solving skills.
• Allow teams to explore the room and uncover hidden clues and puzzles.
• Encourage observation and collaboration as teams work together to solve challenges.
• Present teams with a variety of puzzles and obstacles to overcome.
• Challenge them to solve each puzzle to progress through the adventure.
• Set a time limit for the challenge to create urgency and excitement.
• Encourage teams to work efficiently to unlock the secrets of the treasure before time runs out.
• Foster effective communication and teamwork among team members.
• Emphasize the importance of listening and leveraging each other’s strengths.
• Throughout the challenge, students will develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Encourage reflection on their strategies and teamwork dynamics.
• Celebrate each team’s success upon completing the challenge.
• Facilitate a debrief session for students to share insights and reflect on their experiences.

With this guide, you can create an engaging escape room challenge that promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in a fun and immersive learning environment.

2. STEM Design Challenge: Build a Bridge

Here is the step by step breakdown of this activity:

• Present the STEM design challenge to students, explaining that they will be tasked with building a bridge using simple materials.
• Supply students with materials such as popsicle sticks, straws, tape, string, and basic construction tools.
• Encourage students to inspect the materials and plan their bridge designs accordingly.
• Prompt students to brainstorm ideas and sketch their bridge designs before starting construction.
• Encourage them to consider factors like structural stability, weight distribution, and material durability.
• Instruct students to begin building their bridges based on their designs.
• Remind them to apply principles of engineering and physics as they construct their bridges.
• As students build their bridges, they’ll encounter challenges and obstacles.
• Encourage them to apply problem-solving strategies and make adjustments to their designs as needed.
• Throughout the construction process, facilitate discussions among students.
• Encourage them to reflect on their design choices and problem-solving approaches.
• Provide opportunities for students to test their bridges using various weight loads or simulated environmental conditions.
• Encourage them to observe how their bridges perform and make further adjustments if necessary.

8. Bridge-Building Showcase:

• Conclude the challenge with a bridge-building showcase where students present their creations to their peers.
• Encourage students to discuss their design process, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

9. Celebrate Achievements:

• Celebrate students’ achievements and highlight the importance of their creativity and engineering prowess.
• Encourage a spirit of inquiry and innovation as students showcase their bridge designs.

10. Reflect and Conclude:

• Conclude the STEM design challenge with a reflection session.
• Prompt students to reflect on their experiences and discuss the skills they’ve developed throughout the challenge.

By following these step-by-step instructions, students will engage in a hands-on STEM design challenge that fosters critical thinking, creativity, collaboration , and resilience while deepening their understanding of engineering and physics principles.

3. Mystery Box Inquiry: What’s Inside?

Follow these steps to carry out this activity in the class:

• Introduction and Setup: Introduce the Mystery Box Inquiry activity and set up a closed mystery box in the classroom.
• Group Formation and Instructions: Divide students into small groups and provide instructions emphasizing teamwork and critical thinking.
• Engage the Senses: Encourage students to gather around the mystery box and use their senses (touch, smell, hearing) to gather clues about its contents.
• Making Observations: Instruct students to carefully observe the exterior of the mystery box and record their observations.
• Formulating Hypotheses: Prompt students to formulate hypotheses about what might be inside the mystery box based on their observations.
• Testing Hypotheses: Invite students to test their hypotheses by proposing various scenarios and explanations.
• Refining Problem-Solving Strategies: Encourage students to refine their problem-solving strategies based on new information and insights.
• Group Discussion and Conclusion: Gather the groups for a discussion, allowing students to share their observations, hypotheses, and insights. Conclude by revealing the contents of the mystery box and discussing the problem-solving process.
• Reflection and Extension: Provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their experience and optionally extend the activity by challenging them to design their own mystery box inquiries.

By following these steps, you can facilitate an engaging Mystery Box Inquiry activity that prompts students to make astute observations, test hypotheses, and refine their problem-solving strategies effectively.

4. Real-World Problem Simulation: Environmental Crisis

• Introduce the environmental crisis scenario.
• Explain its significance and real-world implications.
• Divide students into teams with varied skill sets.
• Assign roles like researcher, negotiator, presenter.
• Task teams with researching causes, impacts, and solutions.
• Provide access to relevant resources.
• Encourage teams to negotiate with stakeholders.
• Prompt the development of comprehensive strategies.
• Organize a debate or town hall-style discussion.
• Facilitate analysis of proposed solutions.
• Allow teams to implement proposed solutions.
• Monitor progress and outcomes.
• Conclude with a group reflection session.
• Discuss lessons learned and the importance of problem-solving skills.

This is one of the problem solving activities that can create a simulated environmental crisis scenario, fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in students.

5. Mathematical Escape Puzzle: Crack the Code

• Introduce the escape puzzle, explaining the goal of unlocking a hidden code through math equations and logic puzzles.
• Set up materials in the classroom.
• Explain students’ task: solving math equations and logic puzzles to unlock the code.
• Provide puzzle materials to teams or individuals.
• Instruct on effective use.
• Prompt students to solve provided math equations and logic puzzles.
• Encourage collaboration and problem-solving among students.
• Offer guidance as needed.
• Monitor student progress and provide assistance when required.
• Celebrate successful completion of puzzles.
• Guide students through unlocking the hidden code.
• Conclude with a reflective discussion on math concepts and problem-solving skills applied.

By following these steps, you can engage students in a challenging Mathematical Escape Puzzle that reinforces math skills and promotes problem-solving abilities.

6. Literature-Based Problem Solving Activity: Character Dilemmas

• Choose literature pieces with rich character development and moral dilemmas that are suitable for your students’ age and maturity level.
• Present the Literature-Based Problem Solving activity to students, explaining that they will engage in thought-provoking analysis and ethical reflection inspired by characters in literature.
• Assign readings or excerpts from the selected literature to students.
• Instruct students to analyze the characters’ motivations, actions, and the ethical dilemmas they face.
• Encourage students to prepare for discussions by taking notes on key points, character motivations, and possible solutions to the dilemmas.
• Host lively discussions where students explore the moral dilemmas presented in the literature.
• Encourage students to express their thoughts, opinions, and interpretations while respecting diverse perspectives.
• Organize persuasive debates where students defend their viewpoints and propose solutions to the character dilemmas.
• Encourage students to use evidence from the literature to support their arguments.
• Prompt students to apply problem-solving skills to analyze the consequences of different decisions and actions within the literature.
• Encourage critical thinking as students navigate complex ethical situations.
• Guide students in applying the lessons learned from literature to real-world scenarios.
• Encourage reflection on how the problem-solving skills and ethical considerations explored in the activity can be applied in their own lives.
• Conclude the Literature-Based Problem Solving activity by summarizing key insights and takeaways from the discussions and debates.
• Encourage students to reflect on how their understanding of moral dilemmas and problem-solving skills has evolved through the activity.

It is one of the problem solving activities through which students will engage in thought-provoking analysis, ethical reflection, and problem-solving inspired by characters in literature, fostering critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills in a meaningful and engaging way.

Engaging problem solving activities are the cornerstone of active learning, fostering essential skills for success in today’s dynamic world. By seamlessly integrating these hands-on experiences into the classroom, educators inspire curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking in their students. Whether through STEM design challenges, literature-based dilemmas, or coding adventures, these activities empower students to become adept problem solvers, equipped to navigate the challenges of tomorrow with confidence and ingenuity. Embrace the transformative potential of engaging problem-solving activities to unleash the full spectrum of educational possibilities and prepare students for a future brimming with possibilities.

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9 Problem-Solving Activities for Kids Aged 6 and Up

Help your child learn practical, real-life skills with these fun klutz kits..

You want your child to learn "real-life" skills — and that's exactly what these Klutz kits make possible! These nine activity kits are designed to get kids thinking, learning, and growing, all while using practical skills like basic engineering, building, wiring, and physics. 

Klutz kits are unique because each one comes with a fun book that gives kids practice in reading and following instructions. With these boredom-busting kits, your child will gain valuable STEAM skills and practical, everyday know-how. 

Shop these problem-solving kits now! You can find all Klutz activity kits at The Scholastic Store . 

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