Singapore Math Strategies: Model Drawing for Grades 1-6

Are you ready to learn about your model drawing process? This lesson focuses on model drawing and how to read the problem. You will learn to determine variables, make a visual representation of the problem, adjust that model for problem information, do the computation, and write a final sentence.

In this lesson, you will solve a variety of addition problems. Whether you teach first grade or sixth, it's helpful to know how to solve basic addition problems with model drawing. These are great learning exercises for older students because the computation is simple, and they can focus on the process.

Subtraction word problems can be tricky. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of what goes where, and other times, it's confusing to do the math itself. This lesson focuses on harnessing the power of a visual model that shows students how the subtracted quantity fits into the problem.

Remember those problems where Sally types 62 words per minute and you had to figure out how many words she types in 15 minutes? Well, guess what? These problems don't have to be as hard as they seem. In this lesson, you will learn how easy it is to show each quantity in your model drawings.

Now that you've mastered multiplication problems, it's time to discover their cousin. Division word problems are often the ones students stumble on the most. But after this lesson, you will soon be gliding through them with ease. You will even discover how to solve those tricky before and after scenarios.

This lesson tackles fraction word problems that are easy to visualize with a unit bar model. You will be amazed by how much a simple model can help students understand complex fraction concepts.

If you've ever needed to figure out how many miles you will get out of a few gallons of gas, you will appreciate this lesson on rate word problems. You will learn how to set up the two different things being compared in a typical rate problem (like miles per gallon or cookies per plate).

Now that you've discovered rates, it's time to learn about ratio problems. Imagine that you have 3 candy bars to Timmy's 1, and Jill has 2 to your 3. That's a 3:1:2 ratio. These problems don't have to be any more complex than multiplication problems—it's all about finding the base unit and working from there.

This lesson introduces the Singapore approach to percent word problems The nice thing about percent problems is that most of the time, you're not working with more than 100%. With your handy percent ruler (a great model drawing trick), these problems become a snap.

By now you may feel like a Singapore Math pro! In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to apply what you've learned so far in this course. This lesson focuses on solving word problems and matching each word problem with a pre-created model.

Now that you've learned how to successfully integrate model drawing with so many kinds of word problems, you will learn how you can take all of this information into your classroom. This lesson is all about how to introduce model drawing the right way, how to practice before you present the lessons, and how to give your students ample opportunities to learn with you and on their own.