How many times have your students just picked out the numbers from a word problem and did some type of calculation with those numbers? Their calculations may have been correct but they also may have been incorrect. As educators, we are seeing that students are just trying to get the problem done so that they can move on to the next problem or activity. We need to teach our students to slow down in order to problem-solve and build their problem solving skills.
Students struggle with word problems for various reasons. They may not understand the context of the problem, mathematical vocabulary, academic vocabulary or even how to calculate the problem. Students need to understand what the problem is about first and then solve using the numbers and calculations.
Numberless word problem comes from the ideology of the book Problems Without Figures (Gillian, 1909). In 2014, Brian Bushart, an elementary teacher from Texas, took the concepts of the book and “focused on the instructional moves and opportunities for student discourse” (Colorado Department of Education). Students that engage more with the context of the word problems are more likely to be more successful with solving word problems.
Providing numberless word problems to students is a strategy to use in your classroom that could prove to be a great asset. You introduce the information a little at a time, which forces the students to focus on the context that they have been presented in small chunks. The gradual release of information, allows students to think about the problem before they try to solve it. They do not have the pressure to solve the problem immediately (Park, 2023).
Numberless Word Problems is very similar to Close Reading.
The first time you read the problem, you leave out any numbers and the question. You want to focus on the context of the word problem. As the teacher you facilitate a discussion about the context of the problem. You could even have students act out the problem.
Then you start to add portions of the missing information. The second time you read the problem include the numbers. You could add one number at a time. After each additional piece of information, make sure you have a discussion about the problem with the new information. This is the step that could be differentiated by using different numbers for the abilities of your learners.
The next read would include the question. Students could even develop the question as a class. Again, make sure to have a discussion about the problem with the new information.
Students will create a solution path and solve the problem.
After the students have solved the problem, have them check their work. Does their answer make sense?
Some questions to help with your first discussion, may be:
What is this story all about?
What is happening in this story?
Who is in the story?
What could the number or numbers be in this story?
Draw a picture that matches the story.
What does the word ___ (more, less, fewer, gave, etc..) mean in this story?
After you introduce additional information, some questions could be:
What do you know now?
What new information do you have now?
How does knowing ___(the new information) change your thinking about the story?
Do we have enough information to solve the problem?
What are you wondering about this problem?
What do you notice about the story?
What question might we ask about the information in the story?
What operation could we use to solve the problem?
After solving, does your answer make sense?
The strategy of Numberless Word Problems has been around for some time. It is certainly a way to get the students to process the context of the problem with small pieces of information at a time. Students need to be able to comprehend the problem before they can solve it.
Please reach out to your coach if you want more information on this strategy or a demo lesson.
Resources:
Bushart, Brian. Numberless Word Problems website https://numberlesswp.com
Colorado Department of Education. Word Problem- Research and Practice Guide. https://www.cde.state.co.us/comath/word-problems-guide#:~:text=Brian%20Bushart%2C%20an%20elementary%20teacher,with%20some%20third%2Dgrade%20students.
Hege, Brittany. The Power of Numberless Word Problems. Mix and Math. https://www.mixandmath.com/blog/numberless-word-problems
Park, Hyde, 2023. Unleashing the Power of Numberless Word Problems in Education. Ma+hnasium The Math Learning Center. https://www.mathnasium.com/math-centers/hydepark/news/unleashing-power-numberless-word-problems-education-hp
Susan. Getting Started With Numberless Word Problems. The Math Spot. https://k5mathspot.com/getting-started-with-numberless-word-problems/
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