ABSTRACT
How many minutes would a student have to work on a word problem in order for you to determine the student has persisted in solving the problem? Do students know what is meant by perseverance? How can students persist if they do not understand the context of the problem? Making sense of a problem begins with the ability to understand the words, symbols, numbers and figures in the problem. English Language Learners may not be familiar with regional dialect and outdated terms; early readers may be overwhelmed by a long paragraph; inexperienced problem solvers may not know how to interpret symbols and figures which accompany a problem.
