NCTM Problem Solving Standard

Marilyn Burns, internationally known mathematics teacher, tied problem solving and the other four NCTM process standards as the foundation for teaching when she said:

...the question that I always ask myself, is: "What experiences can I provide the children that would give them a way to start to make sense of this [mathematics] for themselves?" This is where I look at the process standards because they really address what children need to do to learn math—

Problem solving: What kinds of problems can I present to children that would give them a chance to grapple with important ideas and skills?

Reasoning and proof: What kinds of situations can I pose to children so that their reasoning is engaged and they have experience giving convincing arguments?

Communication: How do I involve children in talking and writing to help them communicate what they are studying and learning, and hear the ideas of others?

Connections: How do I help children see the connections among mathematical ideas rather than seeing concepts as isolated and separate from one another?

Representation: How do I help children use the symbolism of mathematics to describe their thinking? (Herrera, 2001, p. 16)

In order to understand how the problem solving standard relates to the Standards for grades 6-8, go to the Standards document overview.

Herrera, Terese. (2001). An Interview with Marilyn Burns, Meeting the Standards—Don't Try to Do It All By Yourself. ENC Focus, 8(2), 16-19.

---

 Back to top

Copyright March 2005 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.