Episode 223: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Gareth Metcalfe and Elliot Morgan to explore the ideas behind Gareth's latest project: Deconstructing Word Problems. After three years of development and classroom testing, Gareth shares the thinking and pedagogy that underpin his approach to designing word problems that genuinely help students understand mathematical structures—not just guess at operations.
We discuss:
The process of breaking down worded questions so that children can process them more effectively.
How to design lessons that go beyond isolated word problems and towards connected, meaningful experiences.
The role of visual modelling, slow reveal tasks, and redundant information in developing mathematical thinking.
Pitfalls teachers often encounter when adapting word problems and how to avoid them.
How teachers and schools can get the most out of Gareth’s new resources at icmaths.com/deconwq2.
Whether you’re a teacher looking to refine your use of word problems or a maths lead developing school-wide consistency, this episode is packed with practical insight and classroom-tested strategies.
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