Strategies for solving verbal math problems

Does your child have trouble solving math word problems? Can your child perform basic math calculations when presented in isolation but struggling to extract the math problem from the words on the page? The following math problem solving strategies will help your child break words into math problems he can handle. To understand how this strategy works, you will need to follow a sample word problem.

Sample word problem

There are seventeen children who want to play outside. Twelve of the children want to play kickball, three want to play jump rope, and two want to play basketball. It's been raining outside, but the sun finally came out. If the children who want to play kickball are going to form two teams, how many children will be in each team?

Identify

Identify what the main question is. Many word problems have additional information that is distracting. Have your child underline the real questions, and then underline the information needed to answer that question. In this sample problem, the additional information is: two want to play jump rope and two want to play basketball. It's been raining outside, but the sun finally came out. Have your child cross out the additional information so that he can focus on the important information in the problem. Talk to your child about why that additional information is not important in solving this problem.

Organize

Organize the facts within the problem. How many teams will they form? Two. How many children are interested in playing? Twelve.

Choose

Choose which functions will best serve you in solving this problem. Is subtraction necessary? No. Is an addition needed? No. Will you need to multiply? No. You will have to divide the twelve children into two teams, which would translate into twelve divided by two.  redactiesommen

Job

Work the problem. Have your child write down all the steps he takes, plus the answers. Make sure he shows all of his work so the problem can be easily reworked if he's wrong. Twelve children divided by two teams are six children in each team. Make sure he writes the entire answer, leaving nothing.

Check

Check your answer to make sure it makes sense. Have your child think about the problem logically. For simple problems like this, ask your child to draw a picture of the problem. Have your child draw twelve stick figures on a piece of scrap paper, and then divide the stick figures in half. Have your child look to see if his answer makes sense or seems correct, using logic and imagining the real-life setting depicted in the question.

Problem solving is a key part of a comprehensive math education, so it is important for your child to master word problems. Most math lessons are geared toward teaching your child the techniques he will one day use in real-life situations, so math word problems are good examples of how math is practically used in the real world. . If you are enthusiastic about math word problems and are not afraid of them, your child will begin to see that math is a practical topic that deserves your attention.