Word problems offer a different way to practice the math operations your students already know by applying math to real-world situations. Some students struggle with word problems because they have to wade through the text to find the relevant data before solving. Students who are below grade level in reading may struggle just to get through the problem. Teaching strategies to solve word problems helps your students spot the relevant info for math success.
Highlight Key Terms
Teaching your students the common terms found in story problems helps them sort out exactly what the problem is asking. For example, common terms for addition include more than, in all, total, added to, combined, sum and together. Give students examples of word problems and either individually or in small groups have them highlight the terms that give clues about the required operation. As a group, come up with lists you can post in the classroom as a reference. Remind students they should read the entire problem carefully to make sure that operation makes sense. Story problems sometimes include extra information, including extra key terms that aren't necessary.
Represent Information
Visually representing the information in the math problem helps students make sense of the data. A drawing is a simple way to show what's happening in the problem. Work through a word problem as a class, drawing a picture on the overhead to demonstrate this strategy. Take this word problem, for example: "Suzy has 15 pieces of candy. How can she divide the candy between herself and two friends evenly?" You can draw the 15 pieces of candy on the overhead so the kids can better see from the picture how to divide it into three groups. Math manipulatives offer another way to represent the info. In the candy example, each child gets 15 cubes or other small objects to represent the candy. The kids move the objects into three groups to find the answer.
Use Real-Life Situations
Events that happen right in the classroom create real-world math problems to solve. The daily lunch count is a simple option. Count the number of kids who choose each school lunch option and turn it into a problem. Say, "10 classmates chose lunch option A, nine chose lunch option B, and six classmates brought cold lunch. How many classmates are eating hot lunch at school?" This activity shows kids how math is used in everyday life and gives them additional chances to practice solving word problems.
Write Story Problems
Letting the kids create their own math word problems helps them better understand the components. The kids also get a chance to use their writing skills in a different way. Remind the students of those keywords that often are used in word problems. Using manipulatives also helps the students write their own story problems. Let the kids swap word problems with classmates to solve them.
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