How to Build Problem-solving Skills
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A lot of people ask, “Don’t kids need to struggle for a while to train their general problem-solving ability?” But thing is, in math, problem solving mostly comes from knowing more math.
A student who knows fractions and ratios and equations has way more tools to attack a hard problem than a student who doesn’t.
So instead of leaving students stuck for a long time and hoping that some magic will happen and they’ll, they’ll somehow acquire tools for solving hard problems?
Just teach them the tools!
Give them examples, give them guidance, give them problems that they can practice out their new tools on.
Now, I know that being able to sit with a difficult problem and not give up too quickly, it’s an important life skill.
I know, but that’s not actually what solves the problem.
The tools solve the problem, and to a large extent, the willingness to sit with that difficult problem, stick with it, not give up too quickly comes from being confident that you have the skills, the tools required to solve the problem.
This teaser is distilled from the following posts, if you want to dive deeper:
- How Do You Increase a Student’s Ability to Make Mental Leaps?
- Deliberate Practice: The Most Effective Form of Active Learning
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