F Merger DEMO : Purchase from www.A-PDF.

com to remove the watermark

A-PDF Page Crop DEMO: Purchase from www.A-PDF.com to remove the watermark

EFFECTIVE
PROBLEM
SOLVING
PROBLEM-SOLVING

c t i ve
Effe -
Prob l e m
S ol vi n g
The 2009 PSLE Mathematics exam saw many students
and parents crying foul over the greater degree of
difficulty of questions. With this trend of greater
number of higher order questions, the key focus for
parents and educators is to strengthen students’
ability to do problem-solving more effectively.
John Yong tells us more.

W
ith the introduction
of calculators in PSLE
Mathematics exams, does
it make life easier for
students? On the contrary, you have to
expect more challenging questions. The
Ministry of Education’s (MOE) rationale for
introducing calculators is to reduce the
burden of computation so that teaching
and assessment can focus more on
problem-solving skills.
What is effective problem-solving? It
is not about getting the right answer. It is
process of getting the answer in the most
effective way that counts. There is always
more than one way to solve a problem.
Some students think that as long as they
get the answer, it does not matter what
technique or approach they used.
However, a poor technique will
mean students take more time to solve
a problem. It may take more steps and
hence, it increases the probability of
careless mistakes. An efficient method
can help nail the problem in a shorter
time, with less steps, and thus boost the
morale of the students.
A technique discovered by Scharff
helps students solve problems effectively.
Formulated from eight years of working
with both high-ability students in
Mathematics Olympiad competitions
and students who face problems in
Mathematics, this methodology has been
researched by Dr Yeap Ban Har of National
Institure of Education(NIE). It is consistent
with top educators’ research findings,
including Professor Arthur Costa’s Habits

62 | absolutelyparents.com | PSLE

Mind, Marzano’s 5 Dimensions in Learning
and Fogarty’s Approach to a Thinking
Classroom.
Belief & Habits of the Mind
Belief
Before Roger Bannister broke the
one-mile record, no one really believed
humans could ran a mile in less than
4 minutes. But once the myth was
shattered by him, countless athletes
could do it too.
Thus, belief is a “A poor technique will
powerful thing. mean students take
What has it got
to do with problem- more time to solve a
solving? Everything problem. It may take
apparently! If you
believe you can not
more steps and hence, it
solve a problem, increases the probability
then chances are,
you won’t be able
of careless mistakes.”
to do it. This is simply a self-fulfilling
prophesy.
To be a strong problem solver, a
student must believe that a problem is, by
definition, a question that can be solved.
With proper skills, practice and habits,
every child can solve problems.
Managing impulsiveness
It is quite common for students to jump
into the act by computing the numbers
before they fully understand what is
required of them. They could end up
with the wrong solution. It is essential
to fully understand the given scenario
PROBLEM-SOLVING
before working on the solution. Staying
lessons
calm to think through the exact situation
presented can help greatly.
Good problem-solvers ask themselves
some pertinent questions:
• Does the question look familiar?
• What approach would be most
suitable for this question?
Striving for Accuracy
When some students read phrases like
“1/5 of the total”, they may misinterpret
it as “half of total” as
they see the number
5, which is half of 10.
This is common among
students who do not
pay attention to details
and accuracy. Caution
your child on this
important aspect of
problem-solving.
Being Systematic
A good problem solver is systematic in
his thinking and presents his thoughts
and solutions likewise on paper. When
a solution is not presented in a logical
fashion, it not only confuses the
examiner, it may also confuse the student.
Thus, students should strive to present
workings in an orderly manner such
that the conclusions are clear and the
statements flow smoothly from one idea
to another.
PSLE | absolutelyparents.com | 63
 PROBLEM-SOLVING
Being Flexible
lessons
A good problem solver needs to be
flexible in his thinking and in approach.
He should explore different perspectives
to look for the best way to get insight to
the problem. A never-give-up attitude
and diligence are also qualities that helps
problem-solving.
u Mo Loco So Framework
This is based on the following:
U - understand
Mo – model
Loco – logical connect
So – solution step
64 | absolutelyparents.com | PSLE
Understand the problem
Understand the question thoroughly,
including all its component parts and
know exactly what is required of you in
the problem.
Model the entire situation
A model can come in many forms. It
can be a diagram, a time-line, a ratio
structure, a decision tree or even sketch
that helps you understand the problem.
A model is akin to a map. If you need
to navigate in a forest, you need a map.
Similarly, if you need to navigate through
a difficult question, you need a Model
(map).

Albert Einstein too used a model every
time he solved a problem. Once you
have a model, place all the clues onto
the model and then you can use it for
navigation. The big picture can help you
understand the relationship between all
the information and clues given.
Logical Connect
How do you solve a jigsaw puzzle? You
need to piece them all together, right?
In effective problem solving, we need to
‘logically connect’ all the clues together to
make sense of them. One clue alone may
not lead you anywhere. But combining
u Mo Loco So
FRamework
PROBLEM-SOLVING
the many clues may give you a new
lessons
lead to solve the problem. Connect all
separate conclusions, each time asking
“So what can this lead to?” All clues are
given for a purpose. If your child bears
this in mind, problem-solving will never
be the same again.
Solution step
When all the clues are connected logically
together, reaching the solution becomes
easy. Your child should not assume that
similarly phrased questions always ask for
the same thing.
PSLE | absolutelyparents.com | 65
 PROBLEM-SOLVING

Test Your Answer provides a simple step to back track to

lessons

When the solution is found, it is not the rectify the error.

end yet. How does your child tell if the U MO LOCO SO!
answer is correct? Some students will Here’s an easy way to remember this
start from the first line of their working method:
to check every line to check for errors. U: Understand all clues & what you
That is inefficient. Strong problem solvers need to solve
always do a quick test to see if the answer MO: Model accurately complete with
makes sense. By plucking in the answer, details
we can see if all the conditions given LOCO: Logical connect all clues
in the question fit. If not, the answer is SO: Work out solution steps
wrong. Then the uMo Loco So framework systematically
CAN YOU SOLVE IT?
A question that appeared in the PSLE Mathematics examination last year led to a hue
and cry among parents and students alike. Online forums for parents was abuzz with
discussions on how the problem could be solved. Many received phone messages with
the same question. Many could not solve the problem; a lot of them did not even know
how to begin; some did not understand the question. That led to a common outcry: If
educated adults could not solve the problem, how can one expect Primary 6 pupils to
solve it? Indeed, it can be solved if you employ this effective problem-solving method
as shown below.

DEMONSTRATION OF PROBLEM-SOLVING METHOD

2009 PSLE KILLER QUESTION (Question 18)
Jim bought some chocolates and gave half to Ken. Ken bought some sweets and
gave half to Jim. When Jim ate 12 sweets while Ken ate 18 chocolates, the ratio of
Jim’s number of sweet to number of chocolate is 1 :7 while the ratio of Ken’s number
of sweets to number of chocolate is 1 :4. How many sweets did Ken buy? (4 marks)

66 | absolutelyparents.com | PSLE
PROBLEM-SOLVING

lessons

John Yong is the founder

and CEO of Scharff Activity-
Based Learning Centre and
VIP Learning Centre, which
specialises in Mathematics
courses that have helped both
high achievers and students
struggling with Mathematics.
For details, call 6852 9910 or
visit www.myviplearning.com

PSLE | absolutelyparents.com | 67
Every Child
Can
Succeed!
Motivation is what
gets you started.
Habit is what
keeps you going.
Scharff VIP helps
average performers succeed
and high performers excel by Scharff
building their capabilities and
stretching their potential.

We specialise in
PSLE Math • Math Rebuild • Iq Math
Math Olympiad • Six Sigma Empowerment
“Under Scharff System, Maxz has improved by leaps & bounds academically,
as well as mentally. His Mathematics grade has improved to 98 marks and he
has won the 3rd Prize in IMTA 2008 Math Contest. I believe this success will
greatly help him become better person in life.” Wilson Ho -Father of Maxz Ho

“The skills taught at Scharff enabled Shaun to analyse tough questions and
perform logical deductions to arrive at the right answers effectively. Scharff’s
teaching method helped him regain confidence. Shaun’s score jumped from 38
marks to 77 marks in SA2!” Yvonne Koh - Mother of Shaunpal Singh

Scharff VIP - Math Specialist

Orchard: (65) 6235 1770 | Yishun: (65) 6852 9910 | www.myviplearning.com

PSLE | absolutelyparents.com | 27