Problem Solving & Comprehension

Arthur Whimbey, Jack Lochhead, Ron Narode

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9780415502214
• eBook ISBN:
  9781136475214
• Topic: Study Aids
• Subtopic: Education General

This popular book shows students how to increase their power to analyze problems and comprehend what they read using the Think Aloud Pair Problem Solving [TAPPS] method. First it outlines and illustrates the method that good problem solvers use in attacking complex ideas. Then it provides practice in applying this method to a variety of comprehension and reasoning questions, presented in easy-to-follow steps. As students work through the book they will see a steady improvement in their analytical thinking skills and become smarter, more effective, and more confident problem solvers. Not only can using the TAPPS method assist students in achieving higher scores on tests commonly used for college and job selection, it teaches that problem solving can be fun and social, and that intelligence can be taught.

Changes in the Seventh Edition: New chapter on "open-ended" problem solving that includes inductive and deductive reasoning; extended recommendations to teachers, parents, and tutors about how to use TAPPS instructionally; Companion Website with PowerPoint slides, reading lists with links, and additional problems.

1. Test Your Mind—See How It Works

A good way to begin a thinking skills program is to take stock of your own thinking habits and compare them to those of other people. On page 3 you’ll find a test called the Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory (WASI). The WASI is the type of test you might take in applying for a job or college program. If you are using this book in a class, your instructor will ask you to take the WASI and make an extra copy of your answers. Then he will collect one copy.

Here is how the WASI differs from other tests. Usually when you take such tests you don’t get a chance to discuss your answers. Sometimes you don’t even find out what your scores are. But with the WASI you will spend several days in class debriefing—going over the test item by item. For each question, your instructor will call on different students to explain how they handled it. In that way, students can compare their problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, if students answered questions incorrectly when they took the test, the instructor may ask them to explain the method they employed that led to the wrong answer. Pay special attention to these explanations of errors, since they will show you how not to deal with such problems. Learning to recognize and avoid ineffective problem-solving methods is an important part of the training. Also notice the sequences of thoughts used by students who answered the question successfully. Compare the approaches leading to the correct answer with those leading to incorrect answers. Pinpoint how the approaches differ. Most importantly, for every question that you answer incorrectly, be sure you understand exactly why the error occurred, and how you can avoid such an error in the future.

If you are not using this book in a class, have a brother, sister, parent or some other friend take the WASI and then compare your answers and strategies.

Asking people to explain their answers to the test questions, and then to compare the explanations with those of others, accomplishes two things. First, it takes the mystery out of mental tests, making them less threatening should you be required to take such tests in the future. Second, research shows that this is an excellent way for people to improve their problem-solving skills. When they work through a test together, explaining and comparing their methods of solution, they learn from each other. They come to recognize ineffective methods, dead ends, and pitfalls. They also come to understand how to attack problems effectively and reach correct answers.

Taking the WASI and then discussing it can be a highly valuable learning experience. When your instructor sets aside several class hours for this, use the time and opportunity to your greatest advantage.

Wasi Test Whimbey Analytical Skills Inventory

Instructions

This inventory consists of 38 questions. Some of the questions are multiple choice, while others are more complex. For each of the multiple choice questions, circle the answer which you think is correct.

Here are two sample questions. Please try to answer them.

1. If you started with $25.00 and then spent $3.00 to go to a movie, how much would you have left?
   1. $23.00
   2. $22.00
   3. $21.00
   4. $12.00
2. Circle the fifth word in this sentence.

For the first sample question you should have circled alternative b., since $22.00 are left after spending $3.00 for the movie. With the second question you should have circled the word “in,” because it is the fifth word in the sentence.

If you have any questions, please ask your instructor to answer them. Otherwise, wait until your instructor asks you to turn the page, then begin.

1. Which word is different from the other 3 words?
   1. yell
   2. talk
   3. pencil
   4. whisper
2. Which letter is as far away from K in the alphabet as J is from G?
   1. K
   2. M
   3. N
   4. G
   5. I
3. If you are facing east and turn left, then make an about-face and turn left again, in which direction are you facing?
   1. east
   2. north
   3. west
   4. south
   5. southwest
4. Which pair of words fits best in the blanks?
   Arm is to wrist as _________ is to ______________ .
   1. leg: foot
   2. thigh: ankle
   3. leg: ankle
   4. leg: knee
5. 20 is related to 30 as 10 is related to ________?
   1. 5
   2. 25
   3. 60
   4. 15
   5. 10
6. Which set of letters is different from the other 3 sets?
   1. EFGE
   2. BCDB
   3. KLML
   4. OPQO
7. In a different language liro cas means "red tomato," dum cas dan means "big red bam" and xer dan means "big horse." What is the word for barn in this language?
   1. dum
   2. liro
   3. cas
   4. dan
   5. xer
8. Write the 2 letters which should appear next in the series.

• 9. There are 3 separate, equal-size boxes, and inside each box there are 2 separate small boxes, and inside each of the small boxes there are 4 even smaller boxes. How many boxes are there altogether?
  1. 24
  2. 13
  3. 21
  4. 33
  5. some other number
• 10. Ten full crates of walnuts weigh 410 lb, while an empty crate weighs 10 1b. How much do the walnuts alone weigh?
  1. 400 lb
  2. 390 lb
  3. 310 lb
  4. 320 lb
  5. 420 lb
• 11. One number in the series below is incorrect. What should that number be?

• 1. 33
  2. 7
  3. 24
  4. 31
  5. 32
• 12. The first figure is related to the second figure in the same way that the third figure is related to one of the answer choices. Pick the answer.

• 13. Which pair of words best fits the meaning of the sentence?
• ____________ the dog was big, he was ____________ heavy.
  1. Since...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface to the Seventh Edition
• Preface to the Sixth Edition
• 1. Test Your Mind—See How It Works
• 2. Errors in Reasoning
• 3. Problem-Solving Methods
• 4. Verbal Reasoning Problems
• 5. Six Myths About Reading
• 6 Analogies
• 7. Writing Relationship Sentences
• 8. How to Form Analogies
• 9. Analysis of Trends and Patterns
• 10. Deductive and Hypothetical Thinking Through Days of the Week
• 11. Solving Mathematical Word Problems
• 12. Open-Ended Problem Solving
• 13. The Post-WASI Test
• 14. Meeting Academic and Workplace Standards: How This Book Can Help
• 15. How to Use Pair Problem Solving: Advice for Teachers, Parents, Tutors, and Helpers of All Sorts
• Appendix 1. Answer Key
• Appendix 2. Compute Your Own IQ
• References