Articles on Teaching Word Problems
Taking the Problem Out of Word Problems
This article focuses on helping students with learning disabilities to work through word problems, but the strategies given can be beneficial to any student. Allowing students to contribute to the creation of different word problems allows for students to learn to write their own word problems. Giving students this responsibility gives them the responsibility and motivation needed to continue problem solving. Also, tweaking word problems so that students can relate to them will allow for a better understanding of what the problem is asking. The article also talks about the connection that has been made between successful problem solving and improved social and communication skills.
References:
Bailey, T. (2002). Taking the Problem Out of Word Problems. Teaching PreK-8, 1, 60-61. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from the EBSCOhost database.
References:
Bailey, T. (2002). Taking the Problem Out of Word Problems. Teaching PreK-8, 1, 60-61. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from the EBSCOhost database.
Helping Children with Words in Word Problems
This article talks about the importance of teaching word problems in elementary school because of the relevance in every student's life. One of the main struggles that students have when attempting to solve word problems is organizing the information given in the word problem to find the crucial material needed to solve the problem. On the other hand, word problems give students the connection from mathematical content to real-world problem-solving. Therefore it is so important for students to become confident and successful in solving word problems for any math strand. Using specific strategies to allow for students to completely comprehend the problem will allow students to be successful when solving word problems. Some strategies are as follows:
References:
Monroe, E., & Panchyshyn, R. (2005). Helping Children with Words in Word Problems. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 10(4), 27-29. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from the EBSCOhost database.
- Making sure to teach the specific vocabulary ahead of time will ensure that students are not confused or caught off guard.
- Give students enough time to sift through all the information given in the problem, allowing them to determine which information is crucial to solving the problem.
- Using students' names in your classroom will give students a connection to make to the problem.
- Using real-life experiences in your word problems will also allow students to make connections. Using information from books read in class, or events that students participate in, or allowing students to write their own problems would be beneficial in problem-solving success.
References:
Monroe, E., & Panchyshyn, R. (2005). Helping Children with Words in Word Problems. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 10(4), 27-29. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from the EBSCOhost database.
How to Teach or Review Word Problems
There are many strategies that can be used to help your student if he/she is struggling with word problems. One excellent strategy that I have come across, however, has been the SIR RIGHT procedure. Guiding your child through these steps will allow for him/her to have a positive and successful outlook on word problems and will give them confidence in approaching future word problems in other strands of mathematics. The steps for the SIR RIGHT procedure are as follows:
S Start by reading and comprehending the problem. Have you child carefully read the problem, making sure that he/she is looking at exactly what information is given in the problem.
I Identify the numbers in the problem, including the written numbers such as "half" instead of 1/2. Have him/her write down only the numbers that are relevant within the problem.
R Read the problem a second time, having your child draw a visual of what the problem is saying. Making a visualization of the problem will allow for your student to make a personal representation for what exactly the problem is asking.
R Read the problem again to determine what the problem is asking your child to find. Ask your child what they will need to find when solving the particular problem and have them underline or circle the question that the problem is asking.
I Inquire (have you student think about the steps needed to solve the problem). Have your child make note of the steps needed to solve the problem.
G "Give the problem a different look." Starting with an alternative, easier set of numbers can give your student the comprehension skills to understand the problem with the original numbers given .
H "Ham it up." Having your student act out the problem will activate his/her creative thinking, allowing him/her to understand the problem in a different way.
T Take a pencil and solve the problem on paper, making sure that the answer makes sense. If the answer does not make sense, your child will need to stop and back-track to the "S" step of the SIR RIGHT procedure and approach the problem again.
Using the SIR RIGHT strategy with your student at home will allow for you, as the parent, to give the guidance and support needed to be a successful and confident problem-solver. Modeling this procedure with your student will also give your student the motivation needed to tackle even the most tricky of word problems. I am confident that if you work with your student on this strategy at home, your student can be successful in the future with any type of word problem.
References:
Let SIR RIGHT Come to the Rescue for Word Problems - SchoolFamily.com. (2012). Schoolfamily.com - Helping parents help their kids succeed at school. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from http://www.schoolfamily.com /school-family-articles/article/5797-let-sir-right-come-to-the-rescue-for-word-problems
S Start by reading and comprehending the problem. Have you child carefully read the problem, making sure that he/she is looking at exactly what information is given in the problem.
I Identify the numbers in the problem, including the written numbers such as "half" instead of 1/2. Have him/her write down only the numbers that are relevant within the problem.
R Read the problem a second time, having your child draw a visual of what the problem is saying. Making a visualization of the problem will allow for your student to make a personal representation for what exactly the problem is asking.
R Read the problem again to determine what the problem is asking your child to find. Ask your child what they will need to find when solving the particular problem and have them underline or circle the question that the problem is asking.
I Inquire (have you student think about the steps needed to solve the problem). Have your child make note of the steps needed to solve the problem.
G "Give the problem a different look." Starting with an alternative, easier set of numbers can give your student the comprehension skills to understand the problem with the original numbers given .
H "Ham it up." Having your student act out the problem will activate his/her creative thinking, allowing him/her to understand the problem in a different way.
T Take a pencil and solve the problem on paper, making sure that the answer makes sense. If the answer does not make sense, your child will need to stop and back-track to the "S" step of the SIR RIGHT procedure and approach the problem again.
Using the SIR RIGHT strategy with your student at home will allow for you, as the parent, to give the guidance and support needed to be a successful and confident problem-solver. Modeling this procedure with your student will also give your student the motivation needed to tackle even the most tricky of word problems. I am confident that if you work with your student on this strategy at home, your student can be successful in the future with any type of word problem.
References:
Let SIR RIGHT Come to the Rescue for Word Problems - SchoolFamily.com. (2012). Schoolfamily.com - Helping parents help their kids succeed at school. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from http://www.schoolfamily.com /school-family-articles/article/5797-let-sir-right-come-to-the-rescue-for-word-problems
Fraction Word Problems
1. Birthday Cake Fractions
Riley is baking a round cake for her cousin's birthday party. There are going to be 8 people at the party, but there are 16 slices of cake. What fraction of the cake does each person get if the cake is divided evenly among each person?
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2. Scavenger Hunt Challenge
Aiden, Camrynn, and Michael participated in a scavenger hunt. They were each given the same list of 12 items to find. At the end of the list, each participant gathered the items that they found and determined how much of the list they were able to find. Aiden found 1/4 of the items on the list. Camrynn found 1/6 of the items on the list, and Michael found 2/3 of the list. Who found the most amount of items on the list and who found the least?
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3. M&M Mystery
Nora opens a snack-sized bag of M&Ms and counts each color inside. Of the 15 M&Ms inside, 5 are blue, 3 are red, 2 are green, 2 are brown, and 3 are yellow. What fraction of the M&Ms are not red?
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**Bold words represent vocabulary signposts. These words help students to understand the problem and determine what needs to be answered within the problem. Bring your child's attention to these words if they are having difficulty determining how to solve a word problem.