Dr Yeap Ban Har banhar@sg.marshallcavendish.com

Marshall Cavendish Institute Singapore

Presentation slides are available at www.banhar.blogspot.com

The Model Method for

Lower Primary

What is the Model Method?

Number of women

Number of men

Number of children

5 units = 601 units = 60 : 5 = 12

8 units = 8 x 12 = 80 + 16 = 96There are 96 people at the party.

Model MethodIn Lower Primary

Jack

Kyla

3 units = $3001 units = $300 : 3 = $100Kyla gets $100.

Larry

Maria

4 units = $3001 units = $300 : 4 = $753 units = 3 x $75 = $300 - $75 = $225Maria gets $225.

1st Number

2nd Number

58 + 12 = 70The larger number is 70.

12

What if the larger number is 58?

Then the smaller number is 58 – 12 = 46.

What if the sum of the numbers is 58?

58 – 12 = 4646 : 2 = 23Then the smaller number is 23 and the larger number is 23 + 12 = 35.

What if the total number of boys and girls is 58?

Peter

Natalia 12

58 – 12 = 4646 : 2 = 23

Peter’s bag weighs 23 kg.Natalia’s bag weighs 23 kg + 12 kg = 35 kg.

Strategies

• Who is in the story? What is it about?• Read a sentence. Do something.• Leave out numbers in reading a sentence.• Are you sure? Is it easy?• Do more mental computations.• Can you explain this step? Maybe other

people cannot understand it.

Basic Models include Part-Whole Model, Change Model and Comparison Model

Mathematics to develop visualization through bar models, number sense

through mental calculation, and ability to manage information through word

problems.

Parents coaching children are providing the ‘voice’ that eventually becomes the

children’s own thinking.