This book was developed for teachers, youth group leaders, after-school child care providers, and parents, who may not have the time or the expertise to develop strategies for preparing students to be effective problem solvers. The content is organized in a pyramid style to make it easy to locate and grasp the information provided. Information on effective strategies for teaching general real-life problem solving is provided first. Similar information specific to real-life math problem solving follows. Together these two sections lay a foundation to prepare teachers to successfully deliver the learning activities subsequently provided. The Learning Activities section is organized by strand as identified by the Ohio Mathematics Proficiency Outcomes. Each section begins with an index of the activities included in that strand. Appendices provide additional details that can be used to facilitate the development of more complex skills. Appendix A contains references; Appendix B lists resources, i.e., books, software, Internet sites, and materials suppliers; Appendix C features common math vocabulary; Appendix D contains the Ohio 4th-, 6th-, and 9th-grade Mathematics Proficiency Outcomes; and Appendix E includes matrices of learning activities, proficiency outcomes, and process skills designed to help focus learning activities on specific mathematical and process skills. (ASK)