The four-step model is generally not taught directly before Grade 3, because young students
tend to become too focused on the model and pay less attention to the mathematical concepts
involved and to making sense of the problem. However, a teacher who is aware of the model
and who uses it to guide his or her questioning and prompting during the problem-solving
process will help students internalize a valuable approach that can be generalized to other
problem-solving situations, not only in mathematics but in other subjects as well.