Be a Maths Teacher for a Moment: Explaining How You Solved It!

Hello Maths Superstars! You’re brilliant at finding answers to maths problems. But do you know what’s another super important skill? Being able to explain the method you used to get that answer! It’s like being a maths teacher and showing someone else your amazing thinking. Today, we’re going to learn how to clearly explain our problem-solving steps.

Why is Explaining Your Method So Important?

• It Helps YOU Understand Better: When you explain something, you have to think about it really clearly. This makes your own understanding even stronger!
• You Can Help Others Learn: If someone else is stuck, your clear explanation can help them understand too.
• It Helps Find Mistakes: Sometimes, when you explain your steps, you might spot a little mistake you made and can fix it!
• It Shows Your Super Brainpower: It’s not just about getting the answer, but showing how your clever brain worked it out!

What Makes a Good Maths Explanation?

• Be Clear: Use simple words that someone else can understand.
• Show Your Steps: Explain what you did first, then next, then after that. It’s like telling a story of your calculation.
• Say WHY You Did It: If you chose a special strategy (like partitioning or using a number bond), explain why it helped. If it was a word problem, explain why you chose to add or subtract.
• Use Maths Words: Try to use correct maths words like “add,” “subtract,” “ones,” “tens,” “column addition,” “regrouped,” etc.
• Be Neat (if writing): If you’re writing your explanation, try to make it easy to read.

Example 1: Explaining a Mental Addition Problem: 56 + 32 = ? Your Answer: 88 Your Explanation Could Be: “First, I partitioned the 32 into 30 and 2. Then, I added 56 + 30, which is 86. After that, I added the 2 to 86, which made 88. So, 56 + 32 is 88.”

Example 2: Explaining Column Subtraction with Regrouping Problem: 71 − 24 = ? Your Answer: 47 Your Explanation Could Be: “I set it up as column subtraction. In the ones column, I couldn’t do 1 take away 4. So, I regrouped 1 ten from the 7 tens, making it 6 tens. The 1 one became 11 ones. Then, 11 take away 4 is 7. In the tens column, 6 tens take away 2 tens is 4 tens. So, the answer is 47.”

Example 3: Explaining a Choice in a Word Problem Problem: “There were 120 fish in a tank. 35 more fish were added. How many fish are there in total?” Your Answer: 155 fish Your Explanation Could Be: “The problem asked ‘how many fish are there in total’ and said ‘more fish were added.’ These words told me I needed to add the numbers together. So I added 120 and 35 to get 155 fish.”

Practice Explaining Your Maths Methods! (18 Activities)

Ready to become a super maths explainer? For the activities below, you might solve a problem and then explain your method, or you might look at a solved problem and choose the best explanation. Think clearly about your steps!

*(Your web app with the 18 activities will go here. These could involve:

• Solving a problem and then selecting pre-written steps that match their method.
• Solving a problem and then typing a short explanation.
• Being given a solved problem and choosing the clearest explanation from a list.
• Identifying a flaw in a given explanation.)*

Why is Being a Good Maths Explainer a Top Skill?

• Shows True Understanding: It proves you haven’t just guessed the answer.
• Helps in Teamwork: When working with others, you can share your ideas clearly.
• Great for Tests: Sometimes teachers want to see your working and understanding, not just the answer.
• Makes You a Better Learner: Thinking about how you learn helps you learn even more!

Tips for Grown-Ups: Encouraging Mathematical Explanations

Encouraging children to explain their problem-solving methods is vital for developing deep mathematical understanding, reasoning, and communication skills. It moves them beyond procedural knowledge to conceptual understanding.

• Ask “How Did You Get That?”: Make this a regular question after they solve a problem, even if the answer is correct.
• “Can You Teach Me?”: Pretend you don’t know how to do it and ask them to explain it as if you were learning for the first time.
• Value Different Methods: Acknowledge that there can be multiple ways to solve a problem. Ask, “Is there another way you could have solved it?”
• Encourage “Maths Talk”: Prompt them to use precise mathematical vocabulary.
• Use “Think Alouds”: Model your own thinking process when you solve a problem. “First, I’m going to try…, because…”
• Focus on the Process, Not Just Speed: Give them time to formulate their explanations. It’s not about how fast they explain, but how clearly.
• Use Open-Ended Questions: Instead of “Did you add?”, try “What operation did you choose and why?”