Reading a completed solution does not by itself show that a student understands each step. A worked example explanation card asks learners to connect an operation to the goal and then try a related problem. MIT's teaching resource emphasises engaging students in explaining examples rather than presenting them passively. The following original worksheet is a practical proposal, not a standardised assessment.
Copyable card
| Stage | Student prompt |
|---|---|
| Understand the goal | What are we trying to find? |
| Identify the information | Which facts do we need? |
| Explain the step | Why was this operation used? |
| Check the result | How can we check that it makes sense? |
| Try a new problem | What stays the same when the numbers change? |
Complete example
Fictional problem: there are four boxes with six pencils in each. How many pencils are there? Displayed step: 4 × 6 = 24. Explanation: we need the total number of pencils in four equal groups, so we multiply the number of groups by the number in each group. To check, add 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 to obtain 24 pencils.
Ask what each number represents before asking students to remember the operation. If the explanation is “we multiplied because that is the answer,” ask for a drawing of the boxes and pencils, then connect it to the operation. The final unit matters: the result counts pencils, not boxes.
Move towards an independent attempt
Present three boxes with five pencils in each and ask students to state the goal and explain the operation before calculating. The answer is 15 pencils, but the reasoning matters too. If the number of pencils varies between boxes, do not retain the equal-group assumption without checking it.
Allow spoken explanations or drawings when appropriate. Record the unclear step and gradually reduce support in response to the student's work, without treating speed as a measure of general ability. Use the card on paper or alongside lesson materials in Schoolizer, after checking available attachment methods. Success on one example does not establish mastery of every related problem.
