1. The problem you have samples for has been edited to reduce the amount of reading for the students. We gave the original late in the year. As we were working with a wide range of readers, the problem is quite wordy.
In analysis, I suggest it was too wordy and so am offering a simpler version. However, the value of seeing student solutions is not diminished.

2. To introduce the following problem, every student has a stick of blocks in 2 colours to represent the mouse tale story:
Either the version with or the version with
Every student has the problem sheet
I have the problem on the board. or

3. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
This problem is about the mice story. Can you find the word mice in the first sentence?
Where is the first sentence, someone come up and show us

4. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
What does the sentence say the mice did? The mice (invite a student to help you read the phrase ‘rocked the jar”.
Read the first part of the sentence to yourself

5. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
The mice rocked the jar and What does it say?
If no child offers then I read some mice escaped and ask for a volunteer to come up and circle the word escaped.....

6. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
Find the word escaped on your page and circle it. Show the person beside you that you did circle the word escaped.
Close your eyes and see the word in your mind. Spell it with me from your mind e-s-c-a-p-e-d

7. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
I keep reading from the board. Tracking under the words with my hand....
“You decide how many” someone read the next word for me ‘escape’
Ask the student who read to come up and circle escape again.
I continue reading
“And” ask a new volunteer to finish the sentence ‘how many would be left’
Have student circle escape again.

8. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left? Explain how you know.
I point out as I read... “Explain how you know.”

9. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
Re- read the first sentence out loud “the mice rocked the jar and some escaped” Ask class to explain to you what they are supposed to DECIDE..
You hope to hear Show some escaping, show how many would be left

10. The mice rocked the jar and some mice escaped.
You decide how many escape and how many would be left. Explain how you know.
Point out to students they have blocks or Chunkz to represent the mice.
Tell them :
“ I will ask you to act out your answers with your blocks (Chunkz) as I visit your desk.”

11. The practice of telling students to “use blocks if they need them” HAS TO STOP. It really is saying “the blocks are not important so only use them if you have to.” We need students to believe that we do value models and materials as TOOLS for THINKING. Demonstrating with materials is not only if you need them. It is an expectation of demonstrating your knowledge and understanding.
When a student has made an error in their work, the first thing I do is ask them to demonstrate with the materials. I do not point out the error I simply ask the student to show me this solution with the blocks
If he or she shows 7 escaped and 2 are left the error will be obvious when he or she separates the blocks to see if 7 escape, 3 are left.

12. As students begin to work I circulate the room asking them to remind me of the key phrases in the problem, read some escaped, how many are left, describe their diagrams, their numbers, set up their responses with the blocks.
When students have found a way I ask if there is a different answer they could use for some....
Is there more than one possibility? Can you show me several?

13. The correct phrase is circled “some mice escaped”
The situation is clearly diagrammed and labeled.
I do not have to ask any questions, Three are escaping and the arrow shows 7 are left.
Can you explain a different solution. Could some be a different number of mice? Show me.

14. The correct phrase is circled “some mice escaped”
The situation is clearly diagrammed and labeled.
I do not have to ask any questions, The diagram is supported by an equation. I might ask the student to act this out with blocks, simply because I know that subtraction can be difficult for students to explain.
Can you explain a different solution. Could some be a different number of mice? Show me.

15. Can the student read the equation and explain how it fits the diagram?
Does the student believe other solutions are possible? Know any without counting? Can he or she record more solutions and explain why they work?
How do you know 10 – 4 = 6?
Did you think about facts?
Think related additions? Use materials?

17. The phrase is circled
The situation is clearly diagrammed and the starting point of 10 is acknowledged.
No mice were drawn, does that mean student worked from known facts? Hmmmm.
There are 3 different facts used.
The effort to communicate is clear. The jars are labeled: one is the number who left and the other the number who escaped. (This is a nice seugeway into building a chart.)
There are 3 solutions communicated 3 and 7, 7 and 3, 6 and 4.
Quite acceptable work.

18. Can student create or recognize how the equations match?
10 – 3 = 7
10 – 6 = 4
10 – 4 = 6 (will she change the wording in her solution so now 4 escape and 6 are left.)
How did you know 7, 3 worked or 6, 4 worked?

19. Can student create or recognize how the equations match?
10 – 3 = 7
10 – 6 = 4
10 – 4 = 6 (will she change the wording in her solution so now 4 escape and 6 are left.)
How did you know 7, 3 worked or 6, 4 worked?

21. The phrase some mice escaped is the key to understanding the subtractive action in this problem. That is why I asked them to circle it.
I was also applying the notion of “phrase” so as to integrate a comprehension piece. Understanding words problems is about making sense of the problem in its whole.
This student has not focused on the” phrase.”
I would continue to practice this idea.

22. It appears from what is written that the students understands the action in the problem and is able to clearly communicate through words and equations. This is acceptable work in my eyes:
I am curious what is under the scratching? I have no indication how the student knew 8 and 2 or 3 and 7 solve the problem as I did interview.
Where to now?
Can he or she return to this work and organize the equations to see relationships and to complete the list? (8 + 2 is the same as 7 + 3, then and can follow)
Can the student apply the commutative property : = 3 + 7, = 2 + 8
Is the student willing, able to edit the sentences so as to communicate accurately to a parent, teacher or peer audience? (Is this work worth the effort to continue it. I think it is.

23. The student can improve the communication by attending now to editing
The student can improve the communication by attending now to editing. Spelling, capitals and periods?
This is a writing workshop task to make this work acceptable to adult viewers. It comes after the math makes sense and likely in a different block of time. I believe this problem is worthy of completion as it will clearly demonstrate the facts to 10 as subtractions that are related.

24. There were 10 mice and 8 run away.
10 – 8 = 2
There were 10 mice and 3 run away.
10 – 3 = 7
There were 10 mice and 7 run away 10 – 7 = 3

26. This student found 4 different solutions and communicated them all in a way that tells me he/she understands the situation and the limits of the problem.
There are no equations and no reference to 10 so my prompt and probes here would be to find out if the student can create the equation that matches or can recognize why subtraction would work.
If I said 10 – 7 = 3, which of your solutions would that match? Can you explain why?

27. I find this work very acceptable for Grade one
I find this work very acceptable for Grade one. Now we could work on publishing to an audience which means make sentences. List equations that match, if the investment is worth the time and I would say it is.
Can you put these in some kind of order or sequence? Do you see what else fits the list?

29. The phrase is circled
The situation is clearly diagrammed and an equation is identified.
The escaping mice were drawn, but not the left overs which might suggest a strong vision of 3 and 7 make 10. The attention is on who got out. The switch from 6 to 7 may indicate a correction or did the student change her plan part way. We do not know if student knows this fact or how the solution was determined without asking.
Nice effort to clearly communicate using lines to labels and sentence at side. This solution has it all.
I want other students to see and understand that it is not necessary to draw all the mice if you understand the numbers you are using... Since 7 plus 3 does equal 10 then 10 – 3 automatically leaves 7.

30. There could be a discussion around what is needed to communicate clearly the solution.
For example, the clouds, the snake, the sun are all unecessary. They make a nice picture but do not help me understand the solution.
Can we check the sentence to make it publishable as a solution:
Three mice escaped.

31. This students is focused on how to communicate the information mathematically.
She had + signs instead of equal signs which I take as simply problem solving on her own.
She wants to write equations and is not sure how. She knows that these combinations are all about ten and that the mice are escaping.
She has created sets of subtractions.

32. This sample is a chance to identify that a more conventional communication is written
10 – 8 = 2
10 – 4 = 6
10 – 9 = 1 (this might fit the problem but 10 – 1 would not)
10 – 7 = 3
10 – 6 = 4
10 – 5 = 5
How does she know these all work?
She can tell us. Let’s not guess.
Lots of work to communicate here.