In this post, I will be sharing my best practices on how I teach my students to solve Math Word Problems. By reading on you can get tips and ideas on how to use included in this post FREE math word problems in your classroom. Check out these easy and fun Math Word Problem FREEBIES that are perfect for Kindergarten students. These interactive and engaging activities are aligned with the Common Core curriculum. You will also get tips and ideas on how to use these FREE math word problems in your classroom by reading on.
If you are thinking about teaching math word problems and how difficult it can be for a teacher to do, you have to consider the variety of skills the student needs to use in order to succeed. First, they will need to read and comprehend the text. Then they will need to apply the correct math concepts.
The task that is being set for children is not an easy one, but it is very important for them to learn. It is not enough for them to simply memorize the math facts in their textbooks. It only takes them so far. Think of it.
There is a great deal of importance placed on helping each student develop a conceptual understanding of mathematics, and then develop fluency. By using word problems to explore math operations, students can get a deeper understanding of those operations.
The benefits of word problems in math
In addition to engaging students in problem-solving activities, providing them with these opportunities can provide multiple benefits as well.
- Helps develop math skills
- Allows students to express their thoughts
- Offers plenty of chances to practice
- Makes learning fun
Applying common core across all subjects using proven strategies tailored to your students
Having all the common core standards covered is the responsibility of the teacher, and so a list of which ones each lesson will include is helpful to ensure that all the common core standards are covered.
- Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings1, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
- Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
- Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation.
What is a word problem in mathematics?
This example is meant to demonstrate how you can write a math word problem in the form of a few sentences describing the situation that needs to be solved by using a mathematical calculation. The important information is presented in the form of text rather than numerical information.
In order to teach you more about math word problems involving addition and subtraction, we are going to focus on them today.
Freebie includes 2 types of Math Word problems. The first one is for beginners. It includes pictures and signs, whereas the second one does not have pictures (pictures are to entertain only) and includes 2-digit numbers. 
The Types of Word Problems
It is important for students to understand that there are four types of word problems that can be solved.
- Put together
- Add to
- Take from
- Take apart
Put together
These problems involve two or more groups of objects. We put the groups together to find the total. These problems cover the basic concept of addition.
Marta has 4 blocks and Julia has 3 blocks. How many blocks do the girls have together?
Add on
There are many Kinders who have difficulty counting every object in the classroom, but with these problems, they can transition from counting every object to counting on. For example, if a group of objects are added to another group, it will result in a larger group.
There were three frogs in the pond, then 2 more frogs hopped into the pond. How many frogs do we have in the pond now?
We would like our students to understand that if they start with 3 frogs on the pond, and count on to 5 frogs, they will be able to count much faster than if they count every frog on the pond.
Take From
There is a basic concept in subtraction that is well understood and it describes the process of taking away some objects from a group of objects in order to leave a smaller group than what we started with.
A bag of jellybeans had eight jellybeans in it. Mark ate four jellybeans out of the bag. Now, if he takes the bag back, how many jellybeans are left in it?
Take apart
We begin by dividing a group known as the total into at least two smaller groups that can be used to solve this problem.
What is the number of yellow flowers that Kristin grew? She grew eight flowers, 6 of which were red and the rest were yellow.
How do you help children struggling with mathematics and numbers?
We believe that supporting students’ understanding of the problem rather than teaching key words like how many, altogether, or left, is more important than simply teaching them. The use of terms such as how many, altogether, or left can be useful, but they can also be misleading.
Solve math problems throughout the day
I encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity you get during the school day to use math problems. It is crucial for students to be able to connect math problems to everyday situations.
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- We have 4 green cushions and 3 yellow cushions. How many cushions do we have altogether?
- I have 4 books. Who else needs to hand in their book? Now I have 5 more books. How many do I have altogether?
- We have 10 pencils in this box, and I will hand out 6 pencils. How many pencils will I have left in the box?
- I have 9 pencils in this box. 4 of them are green and the rest are yellow. How many are yellow?
What are the 5 steps in solving word problems?
In Kindergarten we will encourage students to act out the scenarios, so they can see and experience the word problems. Start with classroom objects and then move onto worksheets with manipulatives to do this.
There are five main steps
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- Read through the problem and talk about all the components.
- Circle or underline all the numbers
- Use manipulatives to act out the problem. Students can also draw it out.
- Write the number sentence
- Solve the number sentence
Free Printable Worksheet
For students to learn how to solve math word problems, we have created some free printable worksheets to help them. There are four worksheets in total, one for each type of problem.
It is important for students to be able to solve the problem using several tools. Some worksheets include manipulatives that they have to cut out. Others use ten frames, while others have number lines. Each worksheet encourages the students to write down the number they find.
Download Your Math Word Problem Activities 👉 Here.
Some ideas for using these worksheets?
If you wanted to send them home as homework or use them for morning work, these would be great to use as a math warmup for kids. They could work together on the problems or pair up and work on them together.
Your move
Leave a comment below if you have any ideas as to how you teach your students how to solve math word problems.
On the next page, you’ll find a lot more math
Math Word Problem For Kindergarten Through Grade 2
