This is a 2-hour workshop on mathematical problem solving in primary school. It was conducted as part of National Conference on Numeracy 2011 by Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam.

1. Yeap Ban Har Marshall Cavendish Institute Singapore banhar@sg.marshallcavendish.com NCoN2011 workshop Developing Mathematical Problem-Solving Ability in Primary Levels PasarGadong, Brunei Darussalam www.banhar.blogspot.com

2. The Curriculum (Ministry of Education 2006)

3. Singapore Mathematics: Focus on Thinking an excellent vehicle for the development & improvement of a person’s intellectual competencies Ministry of Education Singapore 2006

4. PROBLEM 1 4 2 Group A3  Step 1: Make 42  Step 2: Make 6  Step 3: Write the difference on the piece of square paper.

5. PROBLEM 1 4 2 Group B3  Step 1: Make 42  Step 2: Make 6  Step 3: Write the difference on the piece of square paper.

6. PROBLEM 2 NCoN2011, Brunei Darussalam

7. Draw polygons on the grid paper such that the vertices are on the dots and the total number of dots on the perimeter of each polygon is four. Find the area of each polygon. PROBLEM 2 Group A3 Responses by Teachers in Brunei at Workshops at NCoN2011 Each polygon has an area of 1 unit2.

8. We discussed how to find the area of this polygon. In the end the group agreed that the area is 2 units2. Responses by Teachers in Brunei at Workshops at NCoN2011

9. Responses by Teachers in Brunei at Workshops at NCoN2011

10. Responses by Teachers in Brunei at Workshops at NCoN2011

11. Draw polygons on the grid paper such that the vertices are on the dots and the total number of dots on the perimeter of each polygon is four. Find the area of each polygon. PROBLEM 2 Group B3 Responses by Teachers in Brunei at Workshops at NCoN2011

12. De Tweemaster, The Netherlands

13. PROBLEM 3

14. Responses by Teachers in Brunei at Workshops at NCoN2011

15. PROBLEM 3     

16. PCF Kindergarten Singapore Question: Is it possible to use problem solving for every lesson? Answer: Even in teaching a basic concept (i.e. the number five), a teacher used a problem-solving approach. Make a ‘toy’ using 5 cubes.

18. Workshop Materials

23. Please tear the ten digit tiles out.