Strategies for Solving Math Word Problems

Many parents struggle with helping their child(ren) with solving math word problems.

Following are some strategies and key questions that you can share with your child as you work together to solve word problems. Keep in mind that different problems may call for different strategies and, depending on your child’s learning style, some strategies may or may not be helpful.

Read and work to understand the problem.
Ask your child to read the problem aloud.
Suggest that s/he try ignoring the numbers at first and focus on the story.
Try to find a way for your child to relate to the problem.
Can s/he rewrite or retell the problem in his/her own words?
Can s/he use a formula that s/he already knows?

Look for and highlight clues and key words.
Key words for addition:
increased by,
more than,
combined,
together,
total of,
sum,
added to,

Key words for subtraction:
minus,
less,
less than,
fewer than,
reduced by,
decreased by,
difference between/of

Key words for multiplication:
of,
times,
multiplied by,
product of,
Key words for division:
per,
a,
out of,
ratio of,
quotient of,
percent (divide by 100)

Sort needed information from distracting information.
Cross out all information that is not needed.

Identify the problem and ask key questions.
What information do you already know?
What else do you need to know in order to answer the question?

Visualize the problem.
Draw and label a sketch of this problem.
Make a list.
Make a table or graph.

Translate the information into a math equation.

Guess
Predict the answer using the information provided before solving the problem.

Solve and check
Work out the problem one step at a time.
Asks/he pay attention to units?

Encourage your child to reflect on the process of solving this problem. Can s/he come up with a rule that will help with solving similar problems?

Daily life is full of problems that need to be solved. Learning to solve math word problems is a useful skill that relates to real life problem-solving, and is a skill that can improve with practice.

If your child needs help with math, find the best solution for your family.