How to teach word problems
Grade 1 to Grade 6
A word problem hides a calculation inside a real-life story, so the maths is only half the job. The other half is comprehension: reading carefully, working out what is being asked, and choosing the right operation. This is where many fluent calculators come unstuck, because the sum is not handed to them.
How to teach it
- Separate reading from calculating. Read the whole problem once for the story before touching any numbers.
- Teach a routine such as CUBES or read-plan-solve-check: find the question, pull out the numbers and what they mean, decide the operation, then work it out.
- Underline the actual question so the answer is not left as a bare number with no label (7 what?).
- Model choosing the operation from the meaning, not from keywords. 'How many altogether' usually adds, but keywords lie, so always check against the situation.
- Finish by checking the answer is reasonable and answers the question that was asked.
Common mistakes
- Grabbing the numbers and guessing an operation without reading the whole problem.
- Relying on keywords ('left' means subtract) that break on cleverly worded questions.
- Answering with a bare number and no unit or label.
- Not checking whether the answer makes sense in the story.
Frequently asked questions
Why are word problems so hard for children?
A word problem hides the calculation inside a story, so the maths is only half the job. The other half is comprehension: reading carefully, working out what is being asked, and choosing the right operation. Many fluent calculators come unstuck because the sum is not handed to them.
What age or grade are word problems taught?
Word problems run right through primary, from Grade 1 to Grade 6, growing from single-step to multi-step as the arithmetic develops. The reading and reasoning demands rise each year, so the underlying strategy of read, plan, solve and check matters throughout.
What is the CUBES strategy for word problems?
CUBES is a routine for tackling word problems: Circle the numbers, Underline the question, Box the key words, Eliminate what is not needed, and Solve then check. It slows children down so they read for meaning and plan before calculating, rather than grabbing numbers and guessing.
Why don't keyword tricks work for word problems?
Keyword shortcuts, such as 'left means subtract' or 'altogether means add', break on cleverly worded questions where the keyword points to the wrong operation. It is safer to choose the operation from the meaning of the situation and always check it against the story.
How do you choose the right operation in a word problem?
Work it out from the meaning of the situation, not from keywords. Ask what is happening: are amounts being combined, taken away, shared or repeated? Read the whole problem first, decide what the question is really asking, then pick the operation that matches the story and check it makes sense.
Why does my child get word problems wrong even when good at sums?
Usually because they grab the numbers and guess an operation without reading the whole problem, or rely on keywords that mislead. They may also answer with a bare number and no label. Teaching a read, plan, solve and check routine addresses the comprehension gap, not the arithmetic.
How should a child check a word problem answer?
Reread the question and confirm the answer actually answers it, with the right label, so it is not left as a bare number. Then check the size is reasonable in the story: if 7 sweets were shared among 2 children, an answer of 20 each cannot be right.
Practise with free worksheets
Printable worksheets with answer keys that are never wrong.