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Try This: Let Students Choose Their Own Problem Solver Star Level
Try this one thing this week: introduce Problem Solver #01 and let students choose their own star level (one, two, or three stars) instead of assigning it to them.
When students pick their own entry point, you get a window into their confidence, their sense of the problem's demands, and their willingness to take a risk. That choice data is just as valuable as the math itself, and it opens the door to rich conversations about why students chose what they chose.
Your first step: Put Problem Solver #01 in front of students and simply say, "Choose the star level that feels right for you today." Watch what they gravitate toward, notice who switches levels partway through, and pay attention to any hesitation or conversation between students as they decide.
Problem Solver #01, Grades K–8
- Kindergarten #01
- Grade 1 #01
- Grade 2 #01
- Grade 3 #01
- Grade 4 #01
- Grade 5 #01
- Grade 6 #01A – Mixing Paint
- Grade 7PR #01 – Crazy Clearance
- Grade 8EE #01 – Hanger Diagrams
Bring it to AI Math Coach: Once you've tried this with students, share your observations with AI Math Coach like this:
I introduced Problem Solver #01 [problem name] to my [grade level] students. I noticed [what you saw, e.g., 'most students chose two-star,' 'a few switched star levels partway through,' 'students argued about which star level was harder']. What should I look for next?
A filled-in example:
"I introduced Problem Solver #01 (Mixing Paint) to my 6th grade students. I noticed students split fairly evenly across all three star levels, and a couple of kids who started at one-star asked to try two-star once they finished. What should I look for next?"
AI Math Coach noted that the natural spread across star levels was a good sign the entry points were working, and that students moving up from one-star to two-star on their own showed real intrinsic motivation. It suggested watching for the models students reach for (drawings, bar or tape diagrams, ratio tables) and whether they can see the ratio both ways. For the students who moved up a level, it flagged one more thing to watch, whether they're repeating the same ratio over and over or starting to reason about it multiplicatively.
Ready to try it?
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