Abstract: Drawing diagrams is often recommended as a strategy for problem solving.
The mathematics education literature suggests that teachers use diagrams problem solving strategy but provides little guidance on the kinds of diagrams teachers should draw and how teachers could teach pupils to generate their own diagrams.
The findings from two separate studies,
one with primary and the other with secondary school children,
on the nature and use of diagrams in solving problems are described.
The paper discusses the effectiveness of diagrams in helping children solve word problems, and implications for classroom instruction.