Crack the Code: Solving Word Problems

Here is a little story: 'Mia has 12 stickers. She gives 5 to her friend. How many does she have left?' Sounds like a story — but hidden inside it is a maths problem! Word problems are maths questions written as short stories. Your job is to find the maths hiding in the words. Before we start, think about this: what words in the story above tell you something has been taken away?

Every word problem can be solved using four steps. Remember them as READ → FIND → CHOOSE → SOLVE. Step 1 — READ: Read the problem carefully, all the way through. Do not rush. Step 2 — FIND: Underline or circle the key numbers and the question. Ask yourself: what do I know, and what am I trying to find out? Step 3 — CHOOSE: Decide which operation to use. An operation is a maths action — adding (+), subtracting (−), multiplying (×), or dividing (÷). Look for clue words. 'Altogether' and 'total' often mean add. 'Left', 'fewer', and 'difference' often mean subtract. 'Each' and 'groups of' often mean multiply or divide. Step 4 — SOLVE: Write a number sentence and work out the answer. A number sentence uses digits and symbols, like 12 − 5 = 7. Always write the answer as a full sentence so it makes sense. Worked Example: 'Tom has 3 bags. Each bag holds 6 apples. How many apples are there altogether?' Step 1 — Read it through carefully. Step 2 — Key numbers: 3 bags, 6 apples each. Question: total apples. Step 3 — 'Each' and 'altogether' are clue words → multiply. Step 4 — Number sentence: 3 × 6 = 18. Answer: There are 18 apples altogether.