Are your students finding it tricky to break down multi-step maths problems? The CUBES Problem Solving Mat is the perfect scaffold to help learners approach worded questions with confidence and clarity. This strategy-based mat supports students as they work through each part of a problem, encouraging them to slow down, highlight key information, and determine the best path to a solution.

CUBES is an acronym designed to help students remember the steps required when tackling a problem: Circle the numbers, Underline the question, Box the keywords, Eliminate unnecessary information, and Show your work. This mat is clearly divided into these five sections, with each area prompting the student with questions to guide their thinking and improve their reasoning. This visual and practical strategy provides an excellent foundation for all kinds of problem-solving across the curriculum.

This resource can be used flexibly in your classroom. Model the strategy during whole-class instruction, set it up as a workstation in a small group setting, or offer it to individuals as a support tool when completing problem-solving tasks independently. Whether you’re introducing CUBES for the first time or reinforcing it with regular practice, these mats are an excellent way to embed critical thinking into your maths lessons.

Key Learning Outcomes

• ✅ Learn and apply the CUBES strategy to break down worded problems
• ✅ Build confidence when tackling unfamiliar or multi-step problems
• ✅ Improve comprehension and reasoning in mathematical contexts
• ✅ Develop independence in applying structured problem-solving techniques

What’s Included

• 4 versions of the CUBES mat: full colour, low colour, and black and white
• Each mat includes space for circling, underlining, and showing work
• Question prompts in each section to guide student thinking

Materials Needed

• Printed mats in your preferred colour option
• Write-and-wipe sleeves or lamination for reuse
• Whiteboard markers
• Maths word problems for practice

How to Use

1. Introduce the CUBES strategy to your class and model using the mat
2. Provide students with a printed CUBES mat in a write-and-wipe sleeve
3. Give students a worded problem to solve using the mat prompts
4. Encourage discussion and justification of their answers in pairs or groups
5. Reuse the mat across different topics to reinforce the strategy

Ideas for Classroom Use

• 💡 Set up in small group rotations for targeted problem-solving sessions
• 💡 Use during maths warm-ups to build strategy fluency
• 💡 Include in a maths intervention kit or support folder
• 💡 Laminate for use at maths centres with a set of printed problems

Top Teacher Tips

• 💛 Pair with our Years 3 & 4 Problem-Solving PowerPoint to reinforce strategies
• 💛 Display a classroom anchor chart of the CUBES steps for visual learners
• 💛 Offer students the mat as a go-to tool during assessments or independent work

With clear structure, scaffolded prompts, and flexible classroom application, this CUBES mat will help your students become confident and capable problem solvers—one strategy at a time!