This technique of focusing on strategies is one which fosters a healthy sense of self reliance and diminishes the need for meaningless memorization. In other words, elaborations confuse rather than help this type of child. Give the instructions or explanation once and give the child time and the materials to think about what has been said so that he or she can formulate a meaningful question, if necessary. Asking these children to process quickly is unrealistic and not helpful. By contrast, the group of children who use language as a tool to keep themselves on track and to organize their thinking are often extremely quick to respond.
Language is their preferred medium, after all.
These children often respond well to the use of metaphor in explanations. These children are often impatient and do not understand that good thinking is not instantaneous. They need reassurance and a relaxed structure so that they go beyond the superficial quickness and do some real thinking. Finally, those who are afraid to even attempt math are often unaware of their very real strengths. Math anxious students often will take risks if their fears are acknowledged and support is provided.