Review: Word Problem Workshop

Mona Iehl used to teach math like most everyone else: show on the whiteboard how to work a problem, and then let students mimic it. You know... "I do, we do, you do."

But then one day, all that changed. Another teacher, Linda, modeled a lesson in her 3rd grade classroom. That lesson led to a profound realization for Mona as a math teacher, and to a journey that transformed her math teaching approach. She was awakened to the fact that math isn't just about the right answer. P. 13

"I realized that math class should be a space where students aren't just following instructions—they should be actively engaging with the material and each other, sharing ideas, discussing solutions, and building a sense of community around learning.

She started to teach differently. Her classroom became a place where students could confidently solve problems, discuss their reasoning, and think deeply about math.

Mona says that her book isn't just a strategy book — it's a movement to change the way we teach math. Word Problem Workshop is a structure, or a process, or a routine within the math classroom that she has taught to many other teachers in her work as a math coach.

What is Word Problem Workshop?

It is a daily twenty-or-so-minute routine during which students solve one or two word problems, and then discuss their approaches to that problem. They collaborate, and actually build a community around learning.

This routine fosters critical thinking, encourages productive struggle, and builds resilience in students. It also aims to create a classroom environment in which students can work together, learn from each other, learn to communicate, and form a community. It helps students become confident, lifelong problem solvers.

The entire workshop can fit into your math block in various ways (see the image), but she recommends doing it very near the beginning.

One of the reasons for the power of Word Problem Workshop is because it is a routine. It is predictable. This predictable structure allows students to feel safe, and when they feel safe, they are more likely to take risks, such as sharing their thinking or getting a wrong answer.

Parts of Word Problem Workshop

Mona divides the workshop into five parts. Some of these parts typically take just a few minutes. (Remember, the total time is about 20 minutes.)

1. Launch. This involves checking that everyone is making sense of the context of the problem.
2. Grapple. Grapple time is when students work on the problem in small groups.
3. Share. The teacher has chosen a few students who share their strategies and ideas with the whole class.
4. Discuss. This is a whole-class discussion about the problems and the strategies, while ideally sitting in a circle (not at desks).
5. Reflect. Possibly the most important part, and typically involves one more problem students solve independently. The goal is to consolidate their understanding and apply it.

For each part, she gives a detailed guideline with examples and answers to common questions.

Problem solving really is one big reason why we teach math in the first place! We want our children or students to be able to solve problems — in anything, not just math! But math is a very suitable "vehicle" for learning to become someone who doesn't immediately give up when faced with a problem, someone who is not afraid to try different approaches AND to fail.

It's well known that great inventions come when inventors try & fail, try & fail, multitudes of times... until they succeed. Success almost always follows failures! By failing first is how you truly learn.

Sample pages

See below example pages from the book. Click/tap to enlarge.

My thoughts

This routine gets a thumbs-up from me! I feel it is full of positives for students and for their math learning. Word problems and problem solving has always been dear to my heart, and Mona brings that to the forefront — the first thing to be done in the classroom every (or almost every) day. That is how we can raise problem solvers!

Also, Problem Solving Workshop does not take away from the curriculum you're already using, and does not require you to purchase a bunch of new stuff. You do need to buy the book, but after that, you will be good to go. The book is very encouraging; you can sense the positivity of the author through it. It has chapters of guidance on the details of this routine to help you in every aspect of implementing it.

You can easily use this routine if you're using Math Mammoth as your curriculum. Simply choose word problems from the curriculum to use for the workshop. Math Mammoth has lots of them, so you will easily find some to use.

The other parts of the lessons in Math Mammoth can be used for the curriculum lessons Mona suggests to do after Word Problem Workshop, for other practice times, and/or for homework.

Review by Maria Miller