Reuven Rashkovsky and Karine Rashkovsky
Brain Power Enrichment Programs aim to develop problem-solving abilities in students who wish to improve their skills. Additionally, the programs may provide challenging, stimulating and inspirational learning experiences through engagement with problem solving for gifted students. This book accompanies a Level One student through his/her first semester of the problem solving program (or it may be used independently as a problem solving workbook). All Brain Power programs are based on a step-by-step approach, which enables students to understand problems of increasing complexity. Level One begins to equip students typically in grades 4 to 6 with various problem solving strategies and techniques, and supports the application of these skills to math, language arts, study habits and the general learning process. In Level One, students are introduced to four critical steps in problem solving:
1) Understanding the problem
2) Defining a plan or strategy
3) Solving the problem
4) Checking the answer.
The implications for improving one’s problem solving skills are numerous. These include a more positive attitude toward math and science, improved thinking flexibility and creativity in all subject areas, as well as increased success in academic, gifted, university admissions, and professional program tests (many of which are designed with an emphasis on assessing higher-order thinking skills). Moreover, knowledge of a range of problem solving strategies, coupled with experience in their application, have benefits which transcend the classroom and enter the realm of professional, social and intellectual accomplishment.
Reuven received his
Masters degree (Math and Education) from the University
of Odessa, former USSR. Reuven worked on post-graduate studies and research in
Mathematics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, and in Paris, France. For over thirty years, Reuven has enjoyed teaching
mathematics in four countries around the world as well as in Canada, and has worked as vice-principal in Paris, France. As founder of Brain Power Enrichment Programs in
metro-Toronto, Reuven continues to lead the school as principal, curriculum
developer and head instructor.
Karine received her
undergraduate degrees (B.Sc. and B.Ed.) and completed a Masters in Education at
the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University
of Toronto. Karine’s Masters
work focused on teacher development and the field of social justice in the
education of immigrant students. Karine is currently pursuing her
doctoral studies in Education at York University. In addition to teaching mathematics and science in
various schools across Toronto, Karine has been contributing her talents as a specialized
Level 1 and Level 2 course instructor at Brain Power Enrichment Programs for
nearly ten years. Karine dynamically
works in the capacities of administrator, curriculum developer and instructor
of the Brain Power Language Arts Enrichment courses.
Problem Solving Fun:
- Three fishermen eat three fish in three days.
- In how many days will five fishermen eat five fish?
- In how many days will 100 fishermen eat 100 fish?
- In how many days will four fishermen eat eight fish?
- In how many days will eight fishermen eat four fish?
- In how many days will 50 fishermen eat fifty fish?
- Three girls, Diana, Dana, and Dina, danced at a party in celebration of their success on a problem solving competition that day. Although they all like to wear pants, they happened to arrive at the party wearing skirts. One girl wore a white skirt, the other girl wore a gray skirt, and the third girl wore a black skirt. Diana did not wear black, Dana did not wear the black nor the gray skirt.
Who wore which skirt?
- The Brown family’s total hydro cost was $1588.80 last year. What was the hydro cost for the first eight months of last year? (ASSUME EQUAL BILLING!?)
- It would take 4592 tiles (of 1 feet by 1 feet) to cover the floor in a hallway. The hall is 82 feet long. How wide is the hallway?
- A class of three dozen students participates in a student-parent meeting. Half of the students brought their father, one third brought their mother, and the rest brought both parents with them. How many people in total participated in the meeting?
- A one-meter wire is cut twice in the following way: Thirty centimeters are cut for an electrical panel. Another cut is made which leaves a 12 centimeters long piece of wire. What is the length of every piece of wire?
7. What are the common divisors for these numbers:
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