STAR STRATEGY FOR TEACHING WORD PROBLEMS IN MATHEMATICS

Abstract

Mathematics is an important subject in everyday life. Students feel Mathematics is an abstract and difficult subject, struggle even to get pass marks in the examination.  Word problem skills are important to the algebraic cognition and in the aspect of mathematics competence critical for lateral school success. But students used to neglect the topics like fraction, algebra word problems. To remedy this problem STAR strategy is explored in this paper. Students feel difficult to understand word problems due to the lack of language skills, vocabulary skills and to know the content. Hence reasons for these difficulties, skills required to solve the word problems, steps of star strategy and steps to be followed by the teachers are given in brief. Three types of strategy instruction, concrete phase, semi concrete phase and abstract phase integrated with star strategy are illustrated with sample problems. Systematic application of this strategy with proper guidance of teachers helps the students to solve the word problems easily and bring academic success and ensure bright future for the students.