Problem Solving Using Elementary Mathematics

This book teaches 7 basic problem solving strategies that can be used by elementary students to overcome the challenge of how to start thinking about a math problem. It contains more than 100 challenging problems that are suitable for elementary-school students, along with their step-by-step solution to help the reader master these strategies.

This book introduces ten problem-solving strategies by first presenting the strategy and then applying it to problems in elementary mathematics. In doing so, first the common approach is shown, and then a more elegant strategy is provided. Elementary mathematics is used so that the reader can focus on the strategy and not be distracted by some more sophisticated mathematics.

“Teaching through problem-solving” is a commonly used phrase for mathematics educators. This book shows how to use worthwhile and interesting mathematics tasks and problems to build a classroom culture based on students’ reasoning and thinking. It develops a set of axioms about problem-solving classrooms to show teachers that mathematics is playful and engaging. It presents an aspirational vision for school mathematics, one which all teachers can bring into being in their classrooms.