Math Story Chart: a four-step word-problem organizer (Tell-Show-Solve-Answer and Look Back)¶
Element · All elements
Evidence · 3 claims (1 for, 1 mixed, 1 against) · 3 studies (3 causal),q1–q2· 0 of 3 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study
Description¶
The Math Story Chart is a teacher-made graphic organizer based on Polya's four-step problem-solving method, with four components: Tell (the information given), Show (the equation demonstrating the algorithm), Solve (the computational component), and Answer and Look Back (a check of the answer's reasonableness). It was used with teacher modeling during daily 20-minute strategy instruction over three weeks. "All but one student chose to use this 4 step chart 'study aid' when completing their Post-tests," and students appeared to view it as a means of clarifying and organizing problem information rather than as an additional task.
Design Implications¶
Context¶
Requirements¶
- Daily teacher modeling with teacher-made story charts over an instructional period
- Time allocated for discussion of the language of the problem
Constraints¶
- Its use was teacher-directed during instruction; the study found no significant pretest-to-posttest performance gain
Target Learners¶
- fourth-grade students in an urban public elementary school
Target Learning Goals¶
- solving arithmetic word problems
- interpreting the language of word problems
- checking the reasonableness of answers
Claims¶
- Student interviews indicate the formatted plan demanded more work and time, with mixed perceptions of step helpfulness [~W]
- On the problem solution criterion, verbal problem solving scores do not decline over four weeks and rise on the more complex problems [+W]
- Three weeks of explicit language-focused strategy instruction produced no significant word-problem gain in this study [-W]
Related Elements¶
Examples¶
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Key Sources¶
- Stein, Mary G. (1998). Strategic Learning: The Implications of Language in Successful Math Problem-Solving. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED416501
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
element |
id |
math-story-chart-four-step |
title |
Math Story Chart: a four-step word-problem organizer (Tell-Show-Solve-Answer and Look Back) |
description |
The Math Story Chart is a teacher-made graphic organizer based on Polya's four-step problem-solving method, with four components: Tell (the information given), Show (the equation demonstrating the algorithm), Solve (t... |
status |
review |
canonical |
True |
generated |
by claude/unspecified on 2026-09-25 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — stein-1998 |
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