Math Language Routine 6: Withhold the Question

Speaker: When giving students a story problem, “Withhold the Question” is something you can do to increase access for all students and orient them toward meaningful problem solving.

The idea is to first give them the situation from the story problem and let them make sense of it. You may draw a consensual diagram or share a few values or pieces of information about the situation, but withhold the actual question until you’re ready for them to start working.

Some students can’t help it. As soon as the main question is shown, they try to speed ahead.

Now, you don’t actually have to spend very long on this setup, but even a moment is worth it to help students make sense of the context and uncover the mathematical relationships at play before trying to find the answer.

Now, go ahead and give “Withhold the Question” a try.