visualize a problem, write the words and ask their partner to solve it using pictures, equations and labels. You can reinforce the fun of story problems by doing the orally in the car. Students love to solve them and share their thinking on how they solved them. When the students tell you their answer instead of saying, "yes, good job" try "how do you know or how did you solve that?" I ask these questions after students give answers right or wrong. They do not need me to validate their thinking but rather review their thinking, check to see if it made sense and revise if necessary or say, I am write and my evidence is....
We are working to create problem solvers and thinkers who provide evidence for their thinking. Math is just like reading, the answers to the problems have to make sense just like the unknown words in sentences have to make sense when solving.
