Teachers TV: Problem Solving in Primary Maths: The Session

Problem solving became a formal part of the maths curriculum in Scotland in 1991. In this film Mark Valentine, the teaching head of Nethermill Primary School near Dumfries, gives a group of four children a challenging problem to solve. The problem involves measurement, geometry and algebra and requires the children to listen to each other and to work together co-operatively. The two boys and two girls are closely observed as they launch in, consider how to tackle the problem, make mistakes, get stuck and - with occasional interventions from Mark - arrive at the 'eureka' moment. At the end of the session, the children 'report back' to Mark, explaining how they arrived at the solution - an important part of the problem solving process.