It's Called Problem Solving For a Reason

There is an amazing book called Adding It Up:  Helping Children 
Learn Mathematics.
It is not a new book (copyright 2001), nor is it an easy 
book to read. I waded through it once a few years back.  The book 
takes a hard look at the state of mathematics instruction in the United 
States through the lens of the Third International Mathematics and 
Science Study (TIMSS) conducted in the mid-1990s.  Throughout the 
book, comparisons are drawn between mathematics instruction 
in the United States, Japan, and Germany.  One finding of the 
TIMSS that I found particularly striking, and that has really stuck 
with me, is the use of applied problem-solving in United States 
classrooms.  They studied the types of problems used in classrooms 
in the three countries and, actually,the problems were not significantly different.  
What was different was the way in which the teachers in each country allowed 
students to solve the problems. Not surprisingly, Japanese teachers typically allow 
students to struggle the most with problems. Teachers in Germany stepped in to help 
a little quicker than the teachers in Japan.  In the United States, however, teachers  typically offered assistance at the first sign of struggle or frustration.
 
Wait, isn't it called problem solving?

Missouri's new math standards will require us to teach 
perseverance with problem solving along with math computation 
so students can experience success with the multi-step problems. 

Students may struggle with the increased rigor.

We will provide them with tools that assist them as they grapple with these authentic problems.  

But kids won't learn to solve problems if we always give them the answers. 
And we might be surprised at the solutions they come up with!

Building persistence with problem solving instills a confidence that 
sets students up for success beyond high school...count SPS in!