A solved example looks clear while you read it. Then the next exercise changes the numbers and you cannot decide how to begin. Recognising a solution on the page is not always the same as understanding the choices that produced it.
A worked example becomes more useful when you interact with its reasoning. You do not need to hide the entire solution immediately; start by asking why one step follows another.
Explain the move, not just the arithmetic
Choose a short example appropriate to the topic being taught. After each step, say what changed and why that change is allowed. “They moved the number” is less informative than explaining that the same operation was applied to both sides of an equation.
The Institute of Education Sciences discussion of worked examples describes research combining example analysis, questions about misconceptions and independent problems. It supports thinking carefully about the example rather than merely copying its appearance.
Cover one step at a time
Hide the next line and predict a reasonable move. Then compare with the example. A different valid method may be possible; ask a teacher when you cannot tell whether the difference matters.
If your prediction is wrong, locate the first point of misunderstanding. Perhaps you identified the wrong quantity or used an operation without preserving the relationship. A precise question is easier to answer than “I do not understand any of it.”
Try a nearby problem
Use a problem with the same underlying structure but changed details. Work without looking at the solution, then check the reasoning as well as the final answer. If you immediately need to uncover the example, return to the step you could not explain.
For an illustrative algebra task, a student might first explain the operations used to isolate an unknown, then solve another equation requiring the same pattern. The teacher should choose examples that fit the learner’s level; unnecessary complexity can hide the intended idea.
Keep one sentence about the method
After practising, write when the method is useful and one mistake to watch for. Avoid a page of copied steps with no explanation of how to recognise the problem next time.
A worked example is not a shortcut around thinking. Used well, it gives thinking a visible structure—one you can question, rehearse and eventually use without the original page beside you.