Everybody Has a Story to Tell

 Like a talent agent searching for that next elusive screen star, I am always on the lookout for that one spectacular instructional strategy to help my students succeed. Does such a magical strategy actually exist? In all honesty? No. There is no one strategy that works for every learner in every situation. That would be impossible since every individual is unique and learns in his or her own unique way. Instead, there are a multitude of strategies available. What makes sense to one student, may not make sense to another. 

         
Having said that, there is one strategy I came up with a couple of years ago that has never let me down. I have found it to be exceptionally beneficial in the area of math. (It's a strategy that I definitely think would have helped my third-grade self-understand math better.) And it's as easy as making up a story.


 Take a look at the following addition problem: 32 + 14 = n. Thirty-two what? Plus fourteen what? These are just numbers, but they don't hold any personal meaning to students. Why not then, have students come up with a make-believe scenario. Let's say you have a student who loves puppies. (I mean, who could resist a warm, cuddly, and furry puppy?) That student could imagine 32 white puppies with black spots frolicking about, when all of a sudden, another 14 black puppies with white spots come along. Now, how many puppies are there in all? Since our brains are always trying to make sense of things and build meaning, why not give them a helping hand?

I think it's also important for students to realize that the word problems they come across in assessments, textbooks, and workbooks are written by writers hired by a publishing company. The writers create scenarios (little stories) that they believe children will relate to. So, if a word problem starts with "Mr. Doyle bought six markers..." students could imagine the word problem says, "Mrs. Jollie bought six markers.." This strategy takes no extra work, costs no money, and is only limited by your students' imaginations.

Forever Spinning a Yarn,
Lola Jollie