Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

COMPLETE GUIDANCE TO MATH SOLVING

I - The 3 Steps Approach to Solve Any Problem Sum /3 bước tiếp cận
để giải tất cả các bài toán.
Let us share with you the 3 steps process which We have used to help
hundreds of students to improve in their problem sums in just a few
months.

1) Extract
You need to train your child to extract the keywords in every question.

Examples of common keywords:

“more than”
“less than”
“twice the”
“equals to”
“at first”
“in the end”
“of the remainder”
“has X times more”
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Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

“has X times less”

Keywords also include all the numbers. All the numbers given in the
question are important in solving the question.

After your child has identified the keywords, you need to make sure your
child is able to comprehend their meaning and know exactly what the
question mean. The best way to do this is to ask guiding questions which
we will share more on later.

2. Link
Using the information given in the question, you need to train your child to
link to the right heuristic or concept.

“Of the remainder” can be linked to branching or Model Drawing. “More

than/Less than” and “Before-After” scenarios can be linked to model
drawing.

Fraction questions which involve “equal amounts” can be linked to equal

fractions concept.

“In the end” and “Find the number at first” can be linked to working
backwards.

“Age” questions can be linked to constant difference.

“Internal transfer” questions can be linked to constant total.

In order for your child to learn how to link properly, your child needs to
understand how it works too.

For example, for internal transfer questions, you can give your child some
erasers and yourself some erasers. Ask your child to count the total
erasers at the start. Then give some erasers to your child and ask your
child to count the total erasers in the end. The number of erasers should
remain the same, unless your child break the eraser into different parts.

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Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

3) Apply
After your child has extracted the key information and link to the right
concept, you will need to train your child on how to apply the concept.

For example,
Under branching,model drawing , your child needs to know when to
multiply and divide the fractions.

Under equal fractions concept, your child needs to know how to make the
numerators equal.

After your child has applied the concept to solve the question, make sure
your child check his answer by checking against the question again.

Often, I saw students who worked rigorously and find one unit, but didn’t
give what the question is asking for. What a waste!

Remember this E-L-A approach and use it to train your child. With this
approach, you will be able to identify your child’s weaknesses and guide
him accordingly.

II. Questions are the Answers

When your child ask you a question, you do not have to answer with the
solutions right away.

Instead, a more effective way is to ask him back with more questions, and
guide him to solve the question himself.

However, your questions need to give clues on what he can do. If not, he
will just stare at you with a blank face, with no idea what to answer you. I
call this type of questions, “Guiding Questions.”

Your questions can help to connect his ideas together, so that he won’t
get confused. When he answer your questions, he put his thoughts into
words and have a better picture of the question.

On top of that, it enables you to check your child’s understanding. You can
tell from his answers whether he really knows or he is pretending to know.
Most importantly, your questions should empower your solve the question
himself.

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Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

Here are some guiding questions:

1. When Your Child is Reading the Question
- What do you understand from this sentence?

2. What are the keywords in this question? – extract

- What is the question asking for?

3. When Your Child is Solving the Question: - link

- How should you represent this information? By model? Or by ratio?
- What method should you use?
- Why do you want to do it this way?

4. After Your Child has Solved the Question: - apply

- How do you check your answer?
- Can you use another method to solve this question?
- Can you use this method for other types of problem sums? What
types?
This process may take a longer time to help your child to solve the
question. But it enables him to solve the question himself with lesser help.
And when your child is able to solve himself, his confidence will spike
and he will be able to solve similar questions next time without your help.

III. Helping Your Child To Practice Effectively

In a short moment, you are going to learn the important concepts for
solving different types of problem sums.

Reading and understanding the examples is only half of problem sums

mastery. Your child needs to put in practice too.

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Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

When it comes to practice, many parents make their child practice past
year papers. And when their child got stuck, he will refer to the solutions.

Unfortunately, most of the solutions lack details and skip many crucial
workings. Without a full understanding, your child will simply copy down
the solutions, with a false hope that he have understood the problem.
When it comes to practice, We believe “Less is More.”

Your child do not have to practice many questions. Instead, your child
needs to practice the right kind of question and ensure that he fully
understands each one.

And here’s how you can guide your child.

Whenever, he tries a question, ask him to write down the heuristic or

concept beside the question.
Concept is different from chapter.

Do not simply write down “Fraction” beside the question. Instead, write
down “Equal Fractions Concept.”

You can ask guiding questions as explained before to guide your child to
identify the correct concept used.

In the end, check his solutions and highlight those concepts which
your child is weak in.

Then, refer to other practice papers, and select those questions which test
the same concepts. Alternatively, just change the numbers in the question
yourself and make your child do again.

Make your child do those questions until he is confident of solving them

himself independently.

And remember, do not rush through the workings. Make sure your
child understands the rationale behind each step.

And the best way to do this is to write down the reason why he is doing
this
step. Though this takes up more time, it ensures your child understands
the flow fully and prevents careless mistakes too.

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Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

It is better to spend 30 mins on one question and ensuring a full

understanding, than to spend 30 mins on 10 questions by just
skimming through the solutions.
IV. Thực hành
1 1
Question 1: Mai spent 3 of her money on a storybook, 4 of the remainder
on food and the rest on 5 pens. If each pen costs $3, how much did Mai
spend on the storybook?
Step 1 : Extract:
a) Giúp học viên hiểu được ý nghĩa của KEY WORDS.
1
- 1/3 of her money -> 3 x her money.
- Remainder
- The rest
- Each pens…
-
b) Giúp học sinh hiểu được ý nghĩa của các con số.

1/3, each pens cost $3…

c) Sau khi học viên hiểu được Key words, và các con số thì Make
Questions để chắc chắn rằng học sinh hiểu đúng đề bài cho gì và hỏi gì?

Câu hỏi tương ứng bước này:

When your child is reading the questions: What do you understand from
this sentence/number, key words?
- What are the key words in this questions?
- What is the question asking for?...

Step 2: Link
Dựa vào các key words, đề bài hỏi, giáo viên tập cho học sinh link tới
những dạng toán quen thuộc.
Ví dụ: key words trong đề bài remaider -> link tới dạng “ một phần của
phần còn lại” -> cách vẽ sơ đồ tương ứng.
Câu hỏi tương ứng bước này:
- How do you represents this information? By Model, or by ratio?
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Master Trần Đại Nghĩa 01 – Complete Guidance Math Solving

- What method should you use?

Step 3: Apply
-> Khi học viên đã biết đây là dạng toán gì, hướng dẫn học sinh phương
pháp giải dạng toán này.
-> Điều quan trọng trong bước này là hướng dẫn học sinh check lại kết
quả để biết học sinh đó làm đúng hay sai. Cái dở nhất là học sinh làm ra
kết quả nhưng không biết kết quả đó là đúng hay sai.
Câu hỏi tương ứng bước này: (hai câu hỏi cực kỳ quan trọng, bắt buộc
phải hỏi trong mọi bài toán).
- How do you check your answer (làm sao con biết con làm đúng
hay sai?) -> Hướng dẫn cho học viên biết check lại kết quả với đề
bài. Thuận -> đúng; nghịch -> sai.

- How do use another method to solve this questions? (con có thể

dùng cách khác làm bài này không)

Các math concepts sẽ được học trong Model Drawing, và các chủ đề về
Toán. Giáo viên cần nắm rõ các maths concepts này để có phương pháp
phù hợp dạy học viên.

Thank you for your dedication!