Grade 4: Word Problems

Warm up with a quick recall on the board. Read it twice, underline the question and the numbers, draw a bar model or picture, choose the operation, then check the answer makes sense.

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. Model the method clearly, thinking aloud:

• 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.

Do the first few questions of the practice worksheet together, one child explaining each step. Check for understanding before releasing the class to work alone.

Students complete the worksheet independently. Hand out the three difficulty levels below so every child works at the right stretch.

Circulate and look for these, they are the usual sticking points:

• 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.
• Grabbing the numbers and guessing the operation from a key word instead of the situation (e.g. 'more' does not always mean add).

Pull the class back together. Ask one child to explain word problems in their own words, pose a single check question everyone answers on a mini whiteboard, and name what you will build on next lesson.

Use the independent worksheet as the evidence. A child who can complete it accurately and explain one answer has met the objective; anyone who cannot needs the easier level and a short reteach next session.