Math Problem Solving- Task #1

This year our school has been working on implementing math tasks from Marilyn Burn's book 50 Problem Solving Lessons.

 

At first, I have to admit I was skeptical.  I wasn't sure what outcomes I would get or if it would be relevant to my kindergartners.  The tasks begin in 1st grade, but so far my students have been able to handle the first couple of tasks.  As a kindergarten teacher,  I was encouraged to try out one of these per month to track student progress and to help students feel comfortable in solving these types of tasks.  I have tried three of these types of tasks so far.  I have to say, they have given me interesting data on my students and their problem solving skills!

The first task was administered in January.  (This initial problem did not come from the Burns book, but was generated by our teacher team.)  We essentially asked the students to use repeated addition to solve how many buttons would be on five snowmen, if the snowmen each had two buttons for eyes.  I did this task in small groups and had actual buttons at the table for the students to use as manipulatives.  I asked them to show their thinking using drawings, numbers, and equations.  (They were actually familiar with the term equation because we had been using it a lot in reference to addition and subtraction.)

There were some interesting observations...

1. My students are not used to showing their work.  Many of them wanted to just tell me "10" or write "10" and looked puzzled when I asked them to explain with a picture or some numbers.  Many of them ended up writing ways to make 10, since that is what we were most recently practicing.
2. Many students got hung up on drawing snowmen.  :(  We concluded that this was just something that will take a lot of reinforcement.  So many times, in writing, I encourage them to label the picture and add LOTS of details.  And if they are "done" writing, well, they are never done.  Add more details!  But this will not work in math drawings.  I had students adding trees, snowflakes falling from the sky, Olaf-like noses, etc.  While they were lovely drawings, they just don't cut it for math tasks.  :) 
3. My above level students struggled with this!  And many of my mid to low level students did well!  I think the reason is that many of my high students are great "number callers" but need to develop a deeper conceptual understanding as well as how to show their thinking (as described in #1 and #2) 
4. The different strategies they used were so neat to look at and compare later!  Some drew tally marks for each eye, circles for heads with eyes, accidentally counted buttons on the snowman bellies, wrote repeated addition problems, and so on.  I don't think there were two alike, and it was amazing for me to see the differences and their unique ways of thinking! 

So, I guess overall our first task was very enlightening.  We have continued implementing similar tasks since then, and I will continue to write about those, too!