Word Problems Strategy

Word problems are math problems written as stories. They might seem tricky because you have to figure out what to do before you can do it. But with a good strategy, you can solve any word problem step by step. Think of yourself as a math detective!

The 4-Step Strategy

Use these four steps for every word problem:

READ the problem carefully. Read it at least twice. What is the story about?
PLAN your approach. What are you trying to find? What information is given? What operation should you use?
SOLVE by doing the math.
CHECK your answer. Does it make sense? Re-read the problem to be sure.

Clue Words

Certain words in a problem give you clues about which operation to use:

Operation	Clue Words
Addition (+)	in all, total, altogether, combined, sum, both, increase
Subtraction (-)	left, remain, difference, fewer, less than, how many more, decrease
Multiplication (x)	each, every, groups of, times, rows of, per
Division (÷)	share equally, split, divide, each person gets, per group, how many groups

Common Mistake: Do Not Just Look for Clue Words!

Clue words are helpful, but they do not always tell you the right operation. The word "more" can mean addition OR subtraction depending on the question. "5 more than 3" means 3 + 5, but "How many more is 8 than 3?" means 8 - 3. Always think about what the problem is really asking.

Addition Word Problem

Rosa picked 24 apples on Saturday and 18 apples on Sunday. How many apples did she pick in all?

Read: Rosa picks apples on two days. We want the total.
Plan: "In all" means we add: 24 + 18.
Solve: 24 + 18 = 42.
Check: Does 42 make sense? Yes, it is more than either day alone.

Rosa picked 42 apples in all.

Subtraction Word Problem

Jake had 53 baseball cards. He gave 17 to his friend. How many cards does Jake have left?

Read: Jake starts with cards and gives some away.
Plan: "Gave away" and "left" mean subtraction: 53 - 17.
Solve: 53 - 17 = 36.
Check: 36 + 17 = 53. Correct!

Jake has 36 cards left.

Two-Step Word Problem

A store has 3 shelves of toy cars. Each shelf holds 8 cars. If 5 cars are sold, how many are left?

Read: There are shelves with equal amounts of cars, then some are sold.
Plan: First multiply to find total cars, then subtract the ones sold.
Solve: Step 1: 3 x 8 = 24 total cars. Step 2: 24 - 5 = 19 cars left.
Check: 19 + 5 = 24, and 24 ÷ 3 = 8 per shelf. Makes sense!

There are 19 cars left in the store.

Draw a Picture!

If a problem confuses you, draw it! Sketching circles for groups, lines for number lines, or boxes for arrays can make the problem much clearer. You do not need to be an artist -- even simple marks help you organize your thinking.

Practice Problems

1. Emma has 45 stickers. Her sister has 28 stickers. How many more stickers does Emma have?

Show Solution

"How many more" means find the difference: 45 - 28 = 17 more stickers. Check: 28 + 17 = 45.

2. A school bus has 12 rows of seats. Each row holds 2 students. How many students can ride the bus?

Show Solution

Equal groups means multiply: 12 x 2 = 24 students.

3. There are 30 students who need to form teams of 6. How many teams will there be?

Show Solution

"Form teams of" means divide: 30 ÷ 6 = 5 teams. Check: 5 x 6 = 30.

4. Liam had $20. He bought a book for $7 and a pen for $3. How much money does he have left?

Show Solution

First find total spent: $7 + $3 = $10. Then subtract from starting amount: $20 - $10 = $10 left.

5. A farmer has 4 pens with 9 chickens in each pen. She buys 6 more chickens. How many chickens does she have now?

Show Solution

Step 1: 4 x 9 = 36 chickens. Step 2: 36 + 6 = 42 chickens.

Summary: Word problems are solved with four steps: Read, Plan, Solve, and Check. Clue words can hint at the operation, but always think about what the problem is really asking. For multi-step problems, work one step at a time. When in doubt, draw a picture!