diff --git a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/pool_matrix.py b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/pool_matrix.py
index 811085d5..dda7ed2d 100644
--- a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/pool_matrix.py
+++ b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/pool_matrix.py
@@ -9,7 +9,30 @@ import numpy as np
 
 from ..factory import ProceduralDataset, register_dataset
 
-QUESTION_TEMPLATE = """Perform {pool_type} pooling on the following matrix:
+QUESTION_TEMPLATE = """Your job is to perform max/average pooling on the given matrix.
+The stride is equal to the kernel size, meaning there is no overlap between the pooling regions.
+
+Example 1:
+- Input: Perform max pooling on the following matrix with a kernel size of 2:
+1 2 3 4
+5 6 7 8
+9 10 11 12
+13 14 15 16
+- Output:
+6 8
+14 16
+
+Example 2:
+- Input: Perform average pooling on the following matrix with a kernel size of 2:
+1 2 3 4
+5 6 7 8
+9 10 11 12
+13 14 15 16
+- Output:
+3.5 5.5
+11.5 13.5
+
+Perform {pool_type} pooling on the following matrix with a kernel size of {pool_size}:
 {matrix}
 """
 
@@ -18,6 +41,8 @@ QUESTION_TEMPLATE = """Perform {pool_type} pooling on the following matrix:
 class PoolMatrixConfig:
     """Configuration for Pool Matrix dataset generation"""
 
+    min_rows: int = 2  # Minimum rows of the matrix
+    min_cols: int = 2  # Minimum columns of the matrix
     max_rows: int = 10  # Maximum rows of the matrix
     max_cols: int = 10  # Maximum columns of the matrix
     max_pool_size: int = 3  # Maximum pooling size
@@ -27,8 +52,10 @@ class PoolMatrixConfig:
 
     def validate(self):
         """Validate configuration parameters"""
-        assert 1 <= self.max_rows, "max_rows must be at least 1"
-        assert 1 <= self.max_cols, "max_cols must be at least 1"
+        assert 2 <= self.min_rows, "min_rows must be at least 2"
+        assert 2 <= self.min_cols, "min_cols must be at least 2"
+        assert self.min_rows <= self.max_rows, "max_rows must be at least min_rows"
+        assert self.min_cols <= self.max_cols, "max_cols must be at least min_cols"
         assert 1 <= self.max_pool_size, "max_pool_size must be at least 1"
 
 
@@ -40,9 +67,9 @@ class PoolMatrixDataset(ProceduralDataset):
 
     def _get_matrix(self, rng: Random) -> np.ndarray:
         """Generate a random matrix"""
-        rows = rng.randint(1, self.config.max_rows)
-        cols = rng.randint(1, self.config.max_cols)
-        return np.array([[rng.randint(0, 10) for _ in range(cols)] for _ in range(rows)])
+        rows = rng.randint(self.config.min_rows, self.config.max_rows)
+        cols = rng.randint(self.config.min_rows, self.config.max_cols)
+        return np.random.randint(0, 10, (rows, cols))
 
     def _matrix_to_str(self, matrix: np.ndarray) -> str:
         """Get a string representation of the matrix"""
@@ -89,6 +116,7 @@ class PoolMatrixDataset(ProceduralDataset):
     def __getitem__(self, idx: int) -> dict:
         """Generate a single Pool Matrix question"""
         rng = Random(self.seed + idx)
+        np.random.seed(self.seed + idx)
 
         matrix = self._get_matrix(rng)
         matrix_str = self._matrix_to_str(matrix)
@@ -100,7 +128,7 @@ class PoolMatrixDataset(ProceduralDataset):
         answer_str = self._matrix_to_str(answer)
 
         return {
-            "question": QUESTION_TEMPLATE.format(matrix=matrix_str, pool_type=pool_type),
+            "question": QUESTION_TEMPLATE.format(matrix=matrix_str, pool_type=pool_type, pool_size=pool_size),
             "answer": answer_str,
             "metadata": {
                 "matrix": matrix.tolist(),
diff --git a/tests/test_pool_matrix.py b/tests/test_pool_matrix.py
index 422bd642..aa3fe6b6 100644
--- a/tests/test_pool_matrix.py
+++ b/tests/test_pool_matrix.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from reasoning_gym.algorithmic.pool_matrix import PoolMatrixConfig, PoolMatrixDa
 def test_pool_matrix_config_validation():
     """Test that invalid configs raise appropriate errors"""
 
-    for field in ["max_rows", "max_cols", "max_pool_size"]:
+    for field in ["min_rows", "min_cols", "max_rows", "max_cols"]:
         with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
             config = PoolMatrixConfig(**{field: -1})  # Negative not allowed
             config.validate()
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@ def test_pool_matrix_config_validation():
             config = PoolMatrixConfig(**{field: 0})  # Zero not allowed
             config.validate()
 
+        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+            config = PoolMatrixConfig(**{field: 1})  # One not allowed
+            config.validate()
+
+    with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        config = PoolMatrixConfig(max_pool_size=-1)  # Negative not allowed
+        config.validate()
+
+    with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        config = PoolMatrixConfig(max_pool_size=0)  # Zero not allowed
+        config.validate()
+
 
 def test_pool_matrix_dataset_deterministic():
     """Test that dataset generates same items with same seed"""
@@ -80,9 +92,6 @@ def test_pool_matrix_answer():
     dataset = PoolMatrixDataset(config)
 
     # 1. Max pooling
-    matrix = np.array([[1]])
-    assert np.allclose(dataset._max_pool(matrix, 2), np.array([[1]]))
-
     matrix = np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
     assert np.allclose(dataset._max_pool(matrix, 2), np.array([[4]]))
 
@@ -106,10 +115,6 @@ def test_pool_matrix_answer():
     assert np.allclose(dataset._max_pool(matrix, 2), np.array([[6, 8], [14, 16]]))
 
     # 2. Average pooling
-
-    matrix = np.array([[1]])
-    assert np.allclose(dataset._average_pool(matrix, 2), np.array([[1]]))
-
     matrix = np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
     assert np.allclose(dataset._average_pool(matrix, 2), np.array([[2.5]]))