Mike Askew

Paired calculations

When children are working on the same calculation, and have each arrived at the answer, then they may be eager to share their method but, since they each have an answer and a method, the benefits of listening to someone-­‐else’s strategy are not immediately clear. Putting up two different but similar calculations and asking the children in pairs to each do one of the calculations and explain their solution can promote more authentic and active listening as their partner does not have a vested interest in the same calculation.

Solver-­‐recorder

Provide one piece of paper and pen between two. Children take it in turns to be the solver – they have to do the figuring out –while their partner has to do the recording. The solver has to explain what to write down and their partner has to record what they are asked to record – they cannot take over the solving of the problem even if their partner gets stuck. (Children I’ve worked with like to callthis solver-­‐robot. The robot can only record.) What I’ve found actually happens is that the child acting as recorder, once their partner has finished, spontaneously starts to record what they would have done, but having acted as recorder they are more likely to relate their solution method to what their partner did, either building on this or providing an alternative.

Clue problem

Take a classic ‘word problem’ (National Tests are a good source of these) and split the information in the problem into two parts. Put these on two separate pieces of paper together with the question. Working in pairs, they get one ‘clue’ each and jointly solve the problem. They can read out what is on their ‘clue’ card but must not show it to their partner. The reading out encourages listening and the ‘not showing’ rule stops one child simply handing everything over to their partner to do the work