A New Way to Solve Math Problems
Do you need a new strategy to teach your students to solve addition and subtraction word problems? If so, keep reading and grab the free resource below.
First graders and kindergartners solve addition and subtraction word problems.
The first step to helping students solve math word problems is comprehension. If students understand the situation they can solve for the unknown. Students tend to overly rely on keywords such as “more” “give” and “left.” Not every word problem has these keywords and depending on the word problem, the keyword could mislead students to use an incorrect strategy to solve. Solving word problems is tough, but not impossible when students are given the right strategies and repeated opportunities.
Step 1: Read the word problem many times
Read the word problem or ask students to read the word problem more than once. Ask them to act out or visualize the word problem as it is being read. What is happened first, then and last? After they are able to retell the word problem correctly, have them make a model to represent it. They can use numbers or draw pictures or use manipulatives.
Step 2: Using a Beginning, Middle and End Graphic Organizer
We ask students to retell stories all the time! We ask them to identify the characters and what happens to the characters in sequential order. Retelling is an effective strategy to use for word problems too. At the kindergarten and first-grade level, most word problems usually have a character and an action (the character gives something or takes from something). So using beginning, middle and end is a concept that they are working on in reading and can easily be integrated into math.
- First, have students read the word problem (more than once!)
- Then have them say or act out the word problem.
- Last, students use a BME graphic organizer to model what happens in the story.
Ask Questions! Think Aloud! Explain!
- What do we know?
- What don’t we know?
- What are we trying to figure out / what are we solving for?
- What symbol can I use to show what I am solving for or trying to figure out? (They may say “question mark” or say “I can make an square.”
- How can I solve this problem?
Here’s an example of how it would work using the example in the picture.
We know that first Steven has 8 pencils. Next, he finds 4 more pencils. We don’t know how many pencils Steven has now. I am going to use addition to solve because Steven has 8 pencils and finds 4 more pencils. Now, I can solve using a strategy. I will count on using my fingers. 8+4= 12. The answer is 12.
You may have to think aloud to show students how to figure out how to solve a word problem and have to model how to use a BME graphic organizer.
After they use the BME graphic organizer with prompting and support, they will see an equation they could solve by using another strategy.
What are some other strategies you use to teach math word problems?
Do you want more math resources? Click here for activities to teach students how to decompose numbers.
Download the BME graphic organizer.
Enjoy! – Tee.
