Children Must Learn to Draw Diagrams

Abstract

General agreement can be found that verbal problem solving is one of the most important yet one of the most difficult-to-teach topics in elementary school mathematics. Many authors have expressed the opinion that children perform better in mathematics problem-solving situations when diagrams or pictures of the problems are provided by the teacher to elicit appropriate mental images (e.g., Driscoll 1979; Nelson 1974; Riedesel 1969; Threadgill-Sowder and Sowder 1982).