Exemplars tasks, by design, are rich, multi-step problems rooted in real-world contexts. They push students beyond basic computations and into deeper reasoning, planning, and reflecting. But early on, I noticed a common issue: students were rushing. They’d immediately start pulling out numbers and applying operations without truly understanding what the problem was about. That’s when we began consistently using the Three Reads Protocol, and everything began to change.
Building Perseverance Through Problem Solving
How Exemplars Math Tasks and the Three Reads Protocol Transformed My Fifth-Grade Classroom
Kristen Robinson, 5th Grade Teacher, Iowa
This year, one of the most powerful shifts I’ve seen in my fifth-grade classroom has been in my students’ ability to persevere through complex problem-solving tasks. The change didn’t happen overnight, but it grew steadily through intentional routines, thoughtful modeling, and engaging math experiences especially through our use of Exemplars math tasks paired with the Three Reads Protocol.
"This year, one of the most powerful shifts I’ve seen in my fifth-grade classroom has been in my students’ ability to persevere through complex problem-solving tasks."
The Three Reads Protocol: A Mindset Shift
To help my students approach problem solving more thoughtfully, I modeled and reinforced the Three Reads Protocol. This routine became essential in slowing them down and encouraging comprehension before computation. Here is how we used it:
- Read 1: Ignore the numbers. What is the story? In the first read, students ignored all the numbers and simply focused on the situation. What is happening in the problem? Who or what is involved? After reading, students explained the situation to a partner in their own words. This helped them ground their thinking and understand the real-world context before worrying about any math.
- Read 2: What is your job? What question(s) do you need to answer? On the second read, students focused on what the problem was asking them to do. We asked: What is your job? Are there one or more questions you need to answer? This step helped students focus their attention and define a clear goal before choosing a strategy.
- Read 3: What are the important numbers? What strategies could you use? Only after understanding the context and the question did students read the problem a third time to find the important numbers. This was the point where they could finally start thinking about operations and strategies, but only after making sense of the situation and their task.
Visual Tools that Made Thinking Visible
As part of this process, I made sure to incorporate and celebrate students’ ideas for organizing their thinking. One strategy that became a class favorite involved color-coded highlighting:
- Students used one color to highlight the question(s) they needed to answer.
- A second color was used to highlight the important numbers and details.
- When there were multiple questions, students often added a third or even fourth color to clearly separate each part of the task.
This simple, visual technique made a big impact. It helped students stay focused, prioritize information, and approach the problem in a more organized way. It also gave them a sense of ownership over how they engaged with the task.
"My students are now much more likely to stick with a challenging problem, even when the solution isn’t obvious."
Growth in Perseverance and Mathematical Confidence
The impact of this work has been unmistakable. My students are now much more likely to stick with a challenging problem, even when the solution isn’t obvious. They’ve learned that problem-solving is a process, and that understanding comes before answering.
They now collaborate more effectively, ask better questions, and try multiple strategies without giving up. When they get stuck, they go back to the problem, reread it, talk it out, and refine their thinking. They know how to make sense of a problem before jumping into operations, and that shift in mindset has made all the difference.
"Most importantly, they’re developing the perseverance and confidence they’ll need not just in math, but across all areas of learning."
Using Exemplars performance tasks, paired with the intentional structure of the Three Reads Protocol, has helped my students grow as thinkers, communicators, and problem-solvers. Most importantly, they’re developing the perseverance and confidence they’ll need not just in math, but across all areas of learning.