🔍 What Makes a Word Problem “Good”?
Let’s face it—most word problems just scratch the surface. In this podcast, we unpack what actually makes a math task powerful enough to extend student thinking. Discover how the right kind of problem can spark curiosity, deepen reasoning, and launch meaningful conversations—not just get answers.
💡 Why Deeper Thinking Matters More Than More Problems
Here’s the heart of the issue: if we want students to become strong problem solvers in life and in math, they need more than steps—they need strategies. You’ll hear why reasoning, revisiting ideas, and struggling productively are essential to developing long-term mathematical understanding. Plus, we’ll talk about how fewer—but better—problems build more capable thinkers without burning out your students (or your copy machine).
✏️ 3 Practical Ways to Extend Student Thinking Without Extra Worksheets
Ready for actionable tips? Learn three easy ways to take your existing word problems and make them do double (or triple) the work:
- Open Up Closed Problems to encourage flexible strategies.
- Ask for Justifications to promote reasoning and communication.
- Compare Strategies on Purpose to stretch thinking and encourage rich discussions.
These tweaks are designed to fit seamlessly into your current lesson without creating more work—just better work.
🎯 Let’s Make Word Problems Work Better
Join me for a free mini workshop on June 20th where I’ll share my top insights from revamping the Word Problem Workshop Teacher Training. You’ll leave with new tools to get your students thinking deeper—and enjoying problem solving more.
👉 Grab the free printable with 35+ math questions at monamath.com/35questions
📱DM me @hellomonamath and let me know which strategy you’re trying first!
🎧 Don’t forget:
If today’s episode helped you think differently about word problems, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss what’s next. Leave a review to let me know what’s resonating—and share this with a teacher friend who’s ready to ditch the worksheet stack and extend student thinking in smarter ways.
