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Abstract
Set in a small rural school in the southeastern United States, this study aimed to describe the problem solving strategies of fourth grade students as reflected in their representations and explanations of their solutions. Historically, these students did not perform well on statewide achievement tests, and classroom observations revealed that they had little experience with problem solving. Data were collected through individual task-based interviews with fourteen students. Problems posed were nonroutine problems which could be solved through several possible solution strategies. The format for the interviews encouraged students to discover their own methods and representations. This was in sharp contrast to the teacher centered skills-based instruction that was the norm in their mathematics classes. Other than lack of experience, this study revealed no significant evidence that students lacked the ability to learn mathematics or to engage in problems solving if they had opportunities to do so.