What do good problem solvers do?
Good problem solvers use a variety of processes and strategies as they read and represent the problem before they make a plan to solve it. First, they READ the problem for understanding. As they read, they use comprehension strategies to translate the linguistic and numerical information in the problem into mathematical notations. For example, good problem solvers may read the problem more than once and may reread parts of the problem as they progress and think through the problem. They use self-regulation strategies by asking themselves if they understood the problem. They PARAPHRASE the problem by putting it into their own words. They identify the important information and may even underline parts of the problem. Good problem solvers ask themselves what the question is and what they are looking for. VISUALIZING or drawing a picture or diagram means developing a schematic representation of the problem so that the picture or image reflects the relationships among all the important prob
