Math Word Problems
Study
Skills, cont.
| Before illustrating the application of the method to several specific
problems, it is worth mentioning one of the major psychological benefits
of the R.E.L.A.T.E. method. Students frequently presume that they must
know all of the steps in the solution to a problem before they can begin
to solve it. Thus, when presented with an unfamiliar problem, or at least
one which seems unfamiliar, they assume that they can do nothing because
the exact course of the solution process is not apparent.
However, since the R.E.L.A.T.E. method of simplification assumes no specific knowledge at all through the first four steps, a student can perform these even on problems which are totally beyond his/her expertise, or which are, in fact, insoluble! The knowledge that something can be done without knowing everything has a very positive effect on the student's confidence, and since the purpose of the method is to generate familiar clues, many initially unfamiliar problems become familiar by the time the student reaches step 5. |
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