Even Problem Solving is child's play!

Base ten blocks make problem solving child's play. Students learn basic math concepts like same as and hero zero. They are in a math rich environment. If you want the child to learn math place them in a math rich environment. If you want them to learn Spanish place them in a Spanish rich environment. If science then a science rich environment...etc.  Using manipulatives to model math problems turns algebra into a favorite game.  

Quite a bit of problem solving goes into building. It may not look like it but quite a bit of problem-solving went into making this structure. 15 is also 9 + 6, and 8 + 7. You can also see 13s. He made a nice pattern with several combinations for 13.

This page gives you some free lessons. But the password-protected problem-solving page has many more videos with fun, real-life lessons. Nothing is scripted or rehearsed. You see theory in practice in real time. 

Already have a Module three password? Click here to put your password in.

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MOD III

Problem solving is fun.
Make a game of it. 

Start with one cup and work your way up. This is the game they all ask for...later you will hear them say, "can we do algebra"? Which translates to let's play what's under the cup?

Because it's fun. 

Learning tens x + 3 = 10 except the "x" is an actual cup with a seven in it. You can watch it on video. You increase degree of difficulty gradually. Eventually negative numbers are introduced.  

That is a lot of math when you are six. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division all in one story about candy.

If three friends each have a bag with the same number of candies in it and they add it to your seven candies you have nineteen pieces of candy! How many in each frens bag? 

3x + 7 = 19.

Fools around with the blocks. "That means three of them is the same as twelve. SO i have to SMASH 12 into three pieces..."

Pregnant pause as his brain which barely makes theta waves at this age calculates.  Do not interrupt. 

Measures with sixes, too much. Not wrong just getting more information. Five three times is also more than 12, *tosses five aside*...must be four.  "Three 4s is twelve".

"FOUR"! he exclaims. 

And here you see his victory dance. 

This is typical at this homeschool. They see the rules, they don't just memorize them. By the time they go from concrete to drawing to symbols they know the rules. Same rules apply to more complex problem solving. 

Quick sample on video. 

Here is a quick and dirty vid on Problem Solving with equations. Did one take. No edits just let it roll...and then had to cut off the end.

Our primary tools for problem-solving, are Hero Zero & no fun get back to one (NFGBT1). 

Starts with 3x + 2 = 2x + 5

then moves on to 5x + 3 = 4x + 7

and lastly 5x + 3 = 2x + 12

As you can see Problem Solving is EASY when you know how and can visualize it.

Here are three stories to go along the symbols above.

Joe and John are out of town. Joe is two miles out of town and John is five miles out of town. Joe is trying to catch up to John. Joe is walking three miles an hour and John is walking two miles an hour. How long does it take for Joe to catch John and how far out of town are they when he does?

3x + 2 = 2x + 5

Mary and Jane are having a snow ball fight. Mary has three snow balls and Jane has seven. The decide to make an equal amount of snow balls so they can have a fair fight. Jane makes four per minute and Mary makes five per minute until they have the same amount of snow balls, how many minutes did it take and how many snow balls did they each have?

5x + 3 = 4x + 7

Jan and Dan are making pies. Dan has 12 already made, Jan only has 3. They are going to make an equal amount of pies, and they both make the same amount of pies per batch. Dan has two batches to go and Jan has 5 more batches to go before they are done. How many pies do they make per batch and how many will each have when they are done?

5x + 3 = 2x + 12

If you have a Module III Password there is quite a bit more on the password-protected problem-solving page...for a change it's probably easier done than said.

Here is another short video. I didn't get a chance to introduce very many concepts because we got cut off. There is a longer video (45 min) On the other side with the same student. You will notice how she solves the easy ones instantly in her mind now because her subconscious mind had a night to sleep on it. Click enter and put in your password to see that & a whole lot more.

Now that you've gotten a little taste of it, checkout all that you get on the password-protected page. Click the links & watch the short videos. Problem-solving shouldn't be hard it should be ridiculously easy and  therefore fun.  I

t also instills confidence in your child because little kids know that algebra is supposed to be hard. On the following pages you'll see children as young as six playing and having fun, while they learn important math concepts. Problem-solving really is child's play Crewton Ramone's house of math!

Password-Protected Problem-Solving Entry Page.

Go from Problem Solving back HOME.

Go to the Password Protected Problem Solving Entry Page



There are now links to even more problem solving videos and over an hour of exclusive video on the PPPSP...price too steep? Search "Crewton Ramone Problem Solving" on your favorite search engine or on Youtube. Plenty of free stuff to keep you occupied for hours. A search engine will give you blog posts as well.

Also, be sure to check out my blog the blog posts are dated but he info never gets old. 

Blog of Math Post on Problem Solving. 

Blog of Math Fun Math Activities Post

Blog of Math Math Fun

"It is hard to convince a high-school student that he will encounter a lot of problems more difficult than those of Algebra and Geometry." ~Edgar W. Howe

“It is clear that the chief end of mathematical study must be to make the students think.” ~John Wesley Young

More quotes on education.