Mathematics·Mathematical Thinking·meta
Making Sense of Problems
Make sense of a problem by identifying what is being asked, choosing concrete objects or pictures to represent the situation, and explaining a pathway to the solution
Suggested ages 5–6
Learning journey
Your child is beginning to think like a mathematician — using objects and pictures to solve problems, explaining their reasoning, noticing patterns, and connecting maths to real-world situations.
Evidence of understanding
- When given a word problem within 10, explain what the problem is asking before attempting to solve
- Choose objects, fingers, or drawings to represent a problem situation
- After finding an answer, check it makes sense (e.g. re-count objects to verify a total)
Assessment prompt
When Making Sense of Problems gets a maths problem they don't immediately know how to solve, do they stop and think about what the question is asking — maybe drawing a picture — before diving in?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.