Are you looking for more ways to practice problem solving in your classroom? Want to make problem solving more fun and engaging for your students? 6 years ago, I would have answered, “YES” to both of those questions. My students were sick of solving word problem after word problem with worksheets or task cards. I noticed that many of my students needed more problem solving practice, but I knew that more worksheets and task cards, weren’t going to help. So, I started something called Word Problem Wednesday! Keep reading to hear why both my students and I loved Word Problem Wednesday.
What is Word Problem Wednesday? Word Problem Wednesday is a chunk of time set aside every Wednesday for students to practice word problems in a fun and engaging way. In my class, we often would vote on the activity that we would do for it that week.
What Makes Word Problem Wednesday Different? Word Problem Wednesday is not the normal math lesson or math centers practice. Instead, it is a time that students focus only on problem solving, students play games to review what they have been learning about problem solving and interact with one another, while they solve these word problems. Your students will be begging you to do Word Problem Wednesday every week!
What Does a Word Problem Wednesday Activity Look Like? Check out one of my student’s favorite Word Problem Wednesday activities below. This activity is also included in my Word Problem Wednesday resource (more about this at the end).
WORD PROBLEM WEDNESDAY: FOUR IN A ROW
1st: Draw a grid on the board. I normally do 7×7 or 10×10 depending on how many students are in my class.
2nd: Give students a word problem to solve with a partner or group of 3. Word problems are included in my Word Problem Wednesday resource!
3rd: Display or share the answer. Any group who gets the word problem correct, writes their names, or their group name, on a sticky note and places it wherever they want on the grid.
4th: Repeat the same process with a new word problem until a group gets 4 sticky notes in a row on the grid.
Do you want something to help you implement Word Problem Wednesday in your 3rd or 4th Grade Classroom? I have created a resource that gives you EVERYTHING you need to try this out in your classroom! This resource includes templates, word problems, answer keys, a digital version, a printable version and multiple sizes of word problems. Click on the button with the grade you teach to check it out and implement Word Problem Wednesday in your classroom!
