ABSTRACT
Students are exposed to problem solving in Kindergarten in a concrete way, with physical objects such as toys or blocks, or by acting out a problem solving situation. When students are in first and second grade, they gradually move away from the concrete stage of learning and are exposed to number models representing the problem solving situations. Exposing students to this connecting stage, in which there are still physical or visual representations alongside the numbers and symbols, is critical so students will be able to successfully reach the abstract stage in third through fifth grade.
