Trial and Check Strategies

Trial and Check Strategies

What students learn

Students learn the try-check-revise idea: make a reasonable guess, test it against the clues, and change it if needed. Start with Try, Check, Revise: Make a Reasonable Guess to see how a smart first guess begins the work.

Why it matters

Some math problems are too messy to solve in one step, so students need a strategy that lets them improve their answer. Try, Check, Revise: Use the Clue to Check shows how to compare a guess to the information in the problem.

Learn the idea

The point is not to guess wildly. The point is to explain why a new guess is better. Try, Check, Revise: Explain Why It Changed models the thinking students should say out loud.

Try it

Give a short word problem with two possible answers and ask the student to test each one. Then have them write one sentence that explains why the final answer makes more sense.

Parent guide

Ask the child to speak in complete sentences: "I guessed...", "I checked...", and "I changed it because..." That keeps the strategy visible and helps the student remember it later.