How can you tell they’ve got it: Guided Multi-Step Problem Solving?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: When given a word problem within 20 or 100, identify the known information and what needs to be found; Try a strategy (drawing, number line, known fact) and switch approach if the first attempt stalls; Check the reasonableness of an answer using estimation or a different method. Or just try it together: If your child works out that 3 children each get 12 sweets and ends up with 5, does your child pause and say "that doesn't seem right" rather than just writing it down?

Mathematics Mathematical Thinking Ages 6–7

Guided Multi-Step Problem Solving

Your child can plan a longer problem with help, spotting what they know and which steps to take. They check the answer makes sense.

In curriculum terms

With teacher guidance, make sense of multi-step and more complex problems by planning a pathway to the solution, identifying relevant information, and choosing appropriate operations

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

When given a word problem within 20 or 100, identify the known information and what needs to be found
Try a strategy (drawing, number line, known fact) and switch approach if the first attempt stalls
Check the reasonableness of an answer using estimation or a different method

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Try this together

If your child works out that 3 children each get 12 sweets and ends up with 5, does your child pause and say "that doesn't seem right" rather than just writing it down?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Making Sense of Problemsages 5–6Age 6-7 problem-solving builds directly on age 5-6 problem-sense-making

Early Word Problemsages 5–7Planning approaches to word problems within 20 exercises this skill

Addition and subtraction within 20ages 6–7Choosing strategies for adding within 20 requires planning and evaluating approaches

Feeling of not understandingages 6–7Evaluating whether a maths solution is reasonable applies the universal comprehension-monitoring habit

Planning a Taskages 6–7Planning a mathematical approach is the domain-specific application of the universal task-planning habit

Guided Multi-Step Problem Solvingthis skill · ages 6–7

Unlocks

Multi-Step Problem Solvingages 7–8Age 7-8 problem-solving builds on age 6-7 problem-solving

Breaking Tasks into Stepsages 7–9The SEL skill of breaking a big task into manageable steps parallels and builds on the mathematical practice of planning a step-by-step approach to complex problems

Choosing a Strategyages 9–10The LtL strategy evaluation skill (9-10) builds on the early scaffolded habit of checking reasonableness in maths introduced at 6-7

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 1 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9M3A02low confidenceYear 3 · Algebra

extend and apply knowledge of addition and subtraction facts to 20 to develop efficient mental strategies for computation with larger numbers without a calculator

AC9M2N04low confidenceYear 2 · Number

add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers, representing problems using number sentences and solve using part-part-whole reasoning and a variety of calculation strategies

AC9M2A02low confidenceYear 2 · Algebra

recall and demonstrate proficiency with addition facts to 20; extend and apply facts to develop related subtraction facts

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

MAO-WM-01low confidenceMathematics K-10 · Early Stage 1, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2M3A02low confidenceMathematics · Level 3 · Algebra strand

VC2M2N04low confidenceMathematics · Level 2 · Number strand

VC2M2A02low confidenceMathematics · Level 2 · Algebra strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Connecting maths to real lifeages 6–7 Connecting Representationsages 6–7 Explaining Mathematical Reasoningages 6–7 Generalising Patternsages 6–7

All Mathematical Thinking skills →