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How to Solve Math Problems

Last Updated: April 15, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Daron Cam . Daron Cam is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Bay Area Tutors, Inc., a San Francisco Bay Area-based tutoring service that provides tutoring in mathematics, science, and overall academic confidence building. Daron has over eight years of teaching math in classrooms and over nine years of one-on-one tutoring experience. He teaches all levels of math including calculus, pre-algebra, algebra I, geometry, and SAT/ACT math prep. Daron holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a math teaching credential from St. Mary's College. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 592,392 times.

Although math problems may be solved in different ways, there is a general method of visualizing, approaching and solving math problems that may help you to solve even the most difficult problem. Using these strategies can also help you to improve your math skills overall. Keep reading to learn about some of these math problem solving strategies.

Understanding the Problem

• Draw a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram shows the relationships among the numbers in your problem. Venn diagrams can be especially helpful with word problems.
• Draw a graph or chart.
• Arrange the components of the problem on a line.
• Draw simple shapes to represent more complex features of the problem.

Developing a Plan

Solving the Problem

Joseph Meyer

When doing practice problems, promptly check to see if your answers are correct. Use worksheets that provide answer keys for instant feedback. Discuss answers with a classmate or find explanations online. Immediate feedback will help you correct your mistakes, avoid bad habits, and advance your learning more quickly.

Expert Q&A

• Seek help from your teacher or a math tutor if you get stuck or if you have tried multiple strategies without success. Your teacher or a math tutor may be able to easily identify what is wrong and help you to understand how to correct it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Keep practicing sums and diagrams. Go through the concept your class notes regularly. Write down your understanding of the methods and utilize it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Daron Cam. Math Tutor. Expert Interview. 29 May 2020.
• ↑ http://www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/math/math-problem-solving-combining-cognitive-metacognitive-strategies
• ↑ http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Extras/StudyMath/ProblemSolving.aspx
• ↑ https://math.berkeley.edu/~gmelvin/polya.pdf

About This Article

To solve a math problem, try rewriting the problem in your own words so it's easier to solve. You can also make a drawing of the problem to help you figure out what it's asking you to do. If you're still completely stuck, try solving a different problem that's similar but easier and then use the same steps to solve the harder problem. Even if you can't figure out how to solve it, try to make an educated guess instead of leaving the question blank. To learn how to come up with a solid plan to use to help you solve a math problem, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Problem Solving in Mathematics

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The main reason for learning about math is to become a better problem solver in all aspects of life. Many problems are multistep and require some type of systematic approach. There are a couple of things you need to do when solving problems. Ask yourself exactly what type of information is being asked for: Is it one of addition, subtraction, multiplication , or division? Then determine all the information that is being given to you in the question.

Mathematician George Pólya’s book, “ How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method ,” written in 1957, is a great guide to have on hand. The ideas below, which provide you with general steps or strategies to solve math problems, are similar to those expressed in Pólya’s book and should help you untangle even the most complicated math problem.

Use Established Procedures

Learning how to solve problems in mathematics is knowing what to look for. Math problems often require established procedures and knowing what procedure to apply. To create procedures, you have to be familiar with the problem situation and be able to collect the appropriate information, identify a strategy or strategies, and use the strategy appropriately.

Problem-solving requires practice. When deciding on methods or procedures to use to solve problems, the first thing you will do is look for clues, which is one of the most important skills in solving problems in mathematics. If you begin to solve problems by looking for clue words, you will find that these words often indicate an operation.

Look for Clue Words

Think of yourself as a math detective. The first thing to do when you encounter a math problem is to look for clue words. This is one of the most important skills you can develop. If you begin to solve problems by looking for clue words, you will find that those words often indicate an operation.

Common clue words for addition  problems:

Common clue words for  subtraction  problems:

• How much more

Common clue words for multiplication problems:

Common clue words for division problems:

Although clue words will vary a bit from problem to problem, you'll soon learn to recognize which words mean what in order to perform the correct operation.

Read the Problem Carefully

This, of course, means looking for clue words as outlined in the previous section. Once you’ve identified your clue words, highlight or underline them. This will let you know what kind of problem you’re dealing with. Then do the following:

• Ask yourself if you've seen a problem similar to this one. If so, what is similar about it?
• What did you need to do in that instance?
• What facts are you given about this problem?
• What facts do you still need to find out about this problem?

Develop a Plan and Review Your Work

Based on what you discovered by reading the problem carefully and identifying similar problems you’ve encountered before, you can then:

• Define your problem-solving strategy or strategies. This might mean identifying patterns, using known formulas, using sketches, and even guessing and checking.
• If your strategy doesn't work, it may lead you to an ah-ha moment and to a strategy that does work.

If it seems like you’ve solved the problem, ask yourself the following:

• Does your solution seem probable?
• Does it answer the initial question?
• Did you answer using the language in the question?
• Did you answer using the same units?

If you feel confident that the answer is “yes” to all questions, consider your problem solved.

Tips and Hints

Some key questions to consider as you approach the problem may be:

• What are the keywords in the problem?
• Do I need a data visual, such as a diagram, list, table, chart, or graph?
• Is there a formula or equation that I'll need? If so, which one?
• Will I need to use a calculator? Is there a pattern I can use or follow?

Read the problem carefully, and decide on a method to solve the problem. Once you've finished working the problem, check your work and ensure that your answer makes sense and that you've used the same terms and or units in your answer.

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The algebra section of QuickMath allows you to manipulate mathematical expressions in all sorts of useful ways. At the moment, QuickMath can expand, factor or simplify virtually any expression, cancel common factors within fractions, split fractions up into smaller ('partial') fractions and join two or more fractions together into a single fraction. More specialized commands are on the way.

What is algebra?

Algebra is the branch of elementary mathematics which uses symbols to stand for unknown quantities. In a more basic sense, it consists of solving equations or manipulating expressions which contain symbols (usually letters, like x, y or z) as well as numbers and functions. Although solving equations is really a part of algebra, it is such a big area that it has its own section in QuickMath.

This part of QuickMath deals only with algebraic expressions. These are mathematical statements which contain letters, numbers and functions, but no equals signs. Here are a few examples of simple algebraic expressions :

The expand command is used mainly to rewrite polynomials with all brackets and whole number powers multiplied out and all like terms collected together. In the advanced section, you also have the option of expanding trigonometric functions, expanding modulo any integer and leaving certain parts of the expression untouched whilst expanding the rest.

Go to the Expand page

The factor command will try to rewrite an expression as a product of smaller expressions. It takes care of such things as taking out common factors, factoring by pairs, quadratic trinomials, differences of two squares, sums and differences of two cubes, and a whole lot more. The advanced section includes options for factoring trigonometric functions, factoring modulo any integer, factoring over the field of Gaussian integers (just the thing for those tricky sums of squares), and even extending the field over which factoring occurs with your own custom extensions.

Go to the Factor page

Simplifying is perhaps the most difficult of all the commands to describe. The way simplification is performed in QuickMath involves looking at many different combinations of transformations of an expression and choosing the one which has the smallest number of parts. Amongst other things, the Simplify command will take care of canceling common factors from the top and bottom of a fraction and collecting like terms. The advanced options allow you to simplify trigonometric functions or to instruct QuickMath to try harder to find a simplified expression.

Go to the Simplify page

The cancel command allows you to cancel out common factors in the denominator and numerator of any fraction appearing in an expression. This command works by canceling the greatest common divisor of the denominator and numerator.

Go to the Cancel page

Partial Fractions

The partial fractions command allows you to split a rational function into a sum or difference of fractions. A rational function is simply a quotient of two polynomials. Any rational function can be written as a sum of fractions, where the denominators of the fractions are powers of the factors of the denominator of the original expression. This command is especially useful if you need to integrate a rational function. By splitting it into partial fractions first, the integration can often be made much simpler.

Go to the Partial Fractions page

Join Fractions

The join fractions command essentially does the reverse of the partial fractions command. It will rewrite a number of fractions which are added or subtracted as a single fraction. The denominator of this single fraction will usually be the lowest common multiple of the denominators of all the fractions being added or subtracted. Any common factors in the numerator and denominator of the answer will automatically be cancelled out.

Go to the Join Fractions page

Introduction to Algebraic Functions

The notion of correspondence is encountered frequently in everyday life. For example, to each book in a library there corresponds the number of pages in the book. As another example, to each human being there corresponds a birth date. To cite a third example, if the temperature of the air is recorded throughout a day, then at each instant of time there is a corresponding temperature.

The examples of correspondences we have given involve two sets X and Y. In our first example, X denotes the set of books in a library and Y the set of positive integers. For each book x in X there corresponds a positive integer y, namely the number of pages in the book. In the second example, if we let X denote the set of all human beings and Y the set of all possible dates, then to each person x in X there corresponds a birth date y.

We sometimes represent correspondences by diagrams of the type shown in Figure 1.17, where the sets X and Y are represented by points within regions in a plane. The curved arrow indicates that the element y of Y corresponds to the element x of X. We have pictured X and Y as different sets. However, X and Y may have elements in common. As a matter of fact, we often have X = Y.

A function f from a set X to a set Y is a correspondence that assigns to each element x of X a unique element y of Y. The element y is called the image of x under f and is denoted by f(x). The set X is called the domain of the function. The range of the function consists of all images of elements of X.

Earlier, we introduced the notation f(x) for the element of Y which corresponds to x. This is usually read "f of x." We also call f(x) the value of f at x. In terms of the pictorial representation given earlier, we may now sketch a diagram as in Figure 1.18. The curved arrows indicate that the elements f(x), f(w), f(z), and f(a) of Y correspond to the elements x, y, z and a of X. Let us repeat the important fact that to each x in X there is assigned precisely one image f(x) in Y; however, different elements of X such as w and z in Figure 1.18 may have the same image in Y.

Solution As in Example 1, finding images under f is simply a matter of substituting the appropriate number for x in the expression for f(x). Thus:

Many formulas which occur in mathematics and the sciences determine functions. As an illustration, the formula A = pi*r 2 for the area A of a circle of radius r assigns to each positive real number r a unique value of A. This determines a function f, where f(r) = pi*r 2 , and we may write A= f(r). The letter r, which represents an arbitrary number from the domain off, is often called an independent variable. The letter A, which represents a number from the range off, is called a dependent variable, since its value depends on the number assigned tor. When two variables r and A are related in this manner, it is customary to use the phrase A is a function of r. To cite another example, if an automobile travels at a uniform rate of 50 miles per hour, then the distance d (miles) traveled in time t (hours) is given by d = 50t and hence the distance d is a function of time t.

We have seen that different elements in the domain of a function may have the same image. If images are always different, then, as in the next definition, the function is called one-to-one.  

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Here are example math problems within each subject that can be input into the calculator and solved. This list is constanstly growing as functionality is added to the calculator.

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Math word problems require interpreting what is being asked and simplifying that into a basic math equation. Once you have the equation you can then enter that into the problem solver as a basic math or algebra question to be correctly solved. Below are math word problem examples and their simplified forms.

Word Problem: Rachel has 17 apples. She gives some to Sarah. Sarah now has 8 apples. How many apples did Rachel give her?

Simplified Equation: 17 - x = 8

Word Problem: Rhonda has 12 marbles more than Douglas. Douglas has 6 marbles more than Bertha. Rhonda has twice as many marbles as Bertha has. How many marbles does Douglas have?

Variables: Rhonda's marbles is represented by (r), Douglas' marbles is represented by (d) and Bertha's marbles is represented by (b)

Simplified Equation: {r = d + 12, d = b + 6, r = 2 �� b}

Word Problem: if there are 40 cookies all together and Angela takes 10 and Brett takes 5 how many are left?

Simplified: 40 - 10 - 5

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What IS Problem-Solving?

Ask teachers about problem-solving strategies, and you’re opening a can of worms! Opinions about the “best” way to teach problem-solving are all over the board. And teachers will usually argue for their process quite passionately.

When I first started teaching math over 25 years ago, it was very common to teach “keywords” to help students determine the operation to use when solving a word problem. For example, if you see the word “total” in the problem, you always add. Rather than help students become better problem solvers, the use of keywords actually resulted in students who don’t even feel the need to read and understand the problem–just look for the keywords, pick out the numbers, and do the operation indicated by the keyword.

This post contains affiliate links, which simply means that when you use my link and purchase a product, I receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you, and I only link to books and products that I personally use and recommend.

Another common strategy for teaching problem-solving is the use of acrostics that students can easily remember to perform the “steps” in problem-solving. CUBES is an example. Just as with keywords, however, students often follow the steps with little understanding. As an example, a common step is to underline or highlight the question. But if you ask students why they are underlining or highlighting the question, they often can’t tell you. The question is , in fact, super important, but they’ve not been told why. They’ve been told to underline the question, so they do.

The problem with both keywords and the rote-step strategies is that both methods try to turn something that is inherently messy into an algorithm! It’s way past time that we leave both methods behind.

First, we need to broaden the definition of problem-solving. Somewhere along the line, problem-solving became synonymous with “word problems.” In reality, it’s so much more. Every one of us solves dozens or hundreds of problems every single day, and most of us haven’t solved a word problem in years. Problem-solving is often described as  figuring out what to do when you don’t  know what to do.  My power went out unexpectedly this morning, and I have work to do. That’s a problem that I had to solve. I had to think about what the problem was, what my options were, and formulate a plan to solve the problem. No keywords. No acrostics. I’m using my phone as a hotspot and hoping my laptop battery doesn’t run out. Problem solved. For now.

If you want to get back to what problem-solving really is, you should consult the work of George Polya. His book, How to Solve It , which was first published in 1945, outlined four principles for problem-solving. The four principles are: understand the problem, devise a plan, carry out the plan, and look back. This document from UC Berkeley’s Mathematics department is a great 4-page overview of Polya’s process. You can probably see that the keyword and rote-steps strategies were likely based on Polya’s method, but it really got out of hand. We need to help students think , not just follow steps.

I created both primary and intermediate posters based on Polya’s principles. Grab your copies for free here !

I would LOVE to hear your comments about problem-solving!

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Do you tutor teachers?

I do professional development for district and schools, and I have online courses.

You make a great point when you mentioned that teaching students to look for “keywords” is not teaching students to become better problem solvers. I was once guilty of using the CUBES strategy, but have since learned to provide students with opportunity to grapple with solving a problem and not providing them with specified steps to follow.

I think we’ve ALL been there! We learn and we do better. 🙂

Love this article and believe that we can do so much better as math teachers than just teaching key words! Do you have an editable version of this document? We are wanting to use something similar for our school, but would like to tweak it just a bit. Thank you!

I’m sorry, but because of the clip art and fonts I use, I am not able to provide an editable version.

Hi Donna! I am working on my dissertation that focuses on problem-solving. May I use your intermediate poster as a figure, giving credit to you in my citation with your permission, for my section on Polya’s Traditional Problem-Solving Steps? You laid out the process so succinctly with examples that my research could greatly benefit from this image. Thank you in advance!

Absolutely! Good luck with your dissertation!

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Four-Step Math Problem Solving Strategies & Techniques

• Harlan Bengtson
• Categories : Help with math homework
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

Four Steps to Success

There are many possible strategies and techniques you can use to solve math problems. A useful starting point is a four step approach to math problem solving. These four steps can be summarized as follows:

• Carefully read the problem. In this careful reading, you should especially seek to clearly identify the question that is to be answered. Also, a good, general understanding of what the problem means should be sought.
• Choose a strategy to solve the problem. Some of the possible strategies will be discussed in the rest of this article.
• Carry out the problem solving strategy. If the first problem solving technique you try doesn’t work, try another.
• Check the solution. This check should make sure that you have indeed answered the question that was posed and that the answer makes sense.

Step One - Understanding the Problem

As you carefully read the problem, trying to clearly understand the meaning of the problem and the question that you must answer, here are some techniques to help.

Identify given information - Highlighting or underlining facts that are given helps to visualize what is known or given.

Identify information asked for - Highlighting the unknowns in a different color helps to keep the known information visually separate from the unknowns to be determined. Ideally this will lead to a clear identification of the question to be answered.

Look for keywords or clue words - One example of clue words is those that indicate what type of mathematical operation is needed, as follows:

Clue words indicating addition: sum, total, in all, perimeter.

Clue words indicating subtraction: difference, how much more, exceed.

Clue words for multiplication: product, total, area, times.

Clue words for division: share, distribute, quotient, average.

Draw a picture - This might also be considered part of solving the problem, but a good sketch showing given information and unknowns can be very helpful in understanding the problem.

Step Two - Choose the Right Strategy

It step one has been done well, it should ease the job of choosing among the strategies presented here for approaching the problem solving step. Here are some of the many possible math problem solving strategies.

• Look for a pattern - This might be part of understanding the problem or it might be the first part of solving the problem.
• Make an organized list - This is another means of organizing the information as part of understanding it or beginning the solution.
• Make a table - In some cases the problem information may be more suitable for putting in a table rather than in a list.
• Try to remember if you’ve done a similar problem before - If you have done a similar problem before, try to use the same approach that worked in the past for the solution.
• Guess the answer - This may seem like a haphazard approach, but if you then check whether your guess was correct, and repeat as many times as necessary until you find the right answer, it works very well. Often information from checking on whether the answer was correct helps lead you to a good next guess.
• Work backwards - Sometimes making the calculations in the reverse order works better.

Steps Three and Four - Solving the Problem and Checking the Solution

If the first two steps have been done well, then the last two steps should be easy. If the selected problem solving strategy doesn’t seem to work when you actually try it, go back to the list and try something else. Your check on the solution should show that you have actually answered the question that was asked in the problem, and to the extent possible, you should check on whether the answer makes common sense.

4 Best Steps To Problem Solving in Math That Lead to Results

Eastern Shore Math Teacher

What does problem solving in math mean, and how to develop these skills in students?  Problem solving involves tasks that are challenging and make students think.  In teaching through problem solving, learning takes place while trying to solve problems with specific concepts and skills. Therefore, teachers need to provide safe learning spaces that foster a growth mindset in math in order for students to take risks to solve problems.   In addition, providing students with problem solving steps in math builds success in solving problems.

By providing rich mathematical tasks and engaging puzzles, students improve their number sense and mindset about mathematics.  Click Here to get this Freebie of 71 Math Number Puzzles delivered to your inbox to use with your students. 

Students who feel successful in math class are happier and more engaged in learning.  Check out  The Bonus Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys for students to use in your classroom to cultivate a positive classroom community in mathematics.    You can also sign up for other freebies from me Here at Easternshoremathteacher.com .

Have you ever given students a word problem or rich task, and they froze?  They have no idea how to tackle the problem, even if it is a concept they are successful with.   This is because they need problem solving strategies.  I started to incorporate more problem solving tasks into my teaching in addition to making the 4 steps for problem solving a school-wide initiative and saw results.  

What is Problem Solving in Math?

When educators use the term problem solving , they are referring to mathematical tasks that are challenging and require students to think.   Such tasks or problems can promote students’ conceptual understanding, foster their ability to reason and communicate mathematically, and capture their interests and curiosity (Hiebert & Wearne, 1993; Marcus & Fey, 2003; NCTM, 1991; van de Walle, 2003).

How Should Problem Solving For Math Be Taught?

Problem solving should not be done in isolation.  In the past, we would teach the concepts and procedures and then assign one-step “story” problems designed to provide practice on the content. Next, we would teach problem solving as a collection of strategies such as “draw a picture” or “guess and check.”  Eventually, students would be given problems to apply the skills and strategies.  Instead, we need to make problem solving an integral part of mathematics learning. 

In teaching through problem solving, learning takes place while trying to solve problems with specific concepts and skills. As students solve problems, they can use any strategy. Then, they justify their solutions with their classmates and learn new ways to solve problems. 

Students do not need every task to involve problem solving.  Sometimes the goal is to just learn a skill or strategy.   

Criteria for Problem Solving Math 

Lappan and Phillips (1998) developed a set of criteria for a good problem that they used to develop their middle school mathematics curriculum (Connected Mathematics). The problem:

• has important, useful mathematics embedded in it.
• requires higher-level thinking and problem solving.
• contributes to the conceptual development of students.
• creates an opportunity for the teacher to assess what his or her students are learning and where they are experiencing difficulty.
• can be approached by students in multiple ways using different solution strategies.
• has various solutions or allows different decisions or positions to be taken and defended.
• encourages student engagement and discourse.
• connects to other important mathematical ideas.
• promotes the skillful use of mathematics.
• provides an opportunity to practice important skills.

Of course, not every problem will include all of the above. However, the first four are essential.  Sometimes, you will choose a problem because your students need an opportunity to practice a certain skill.

The real value of these criteria is that they provide teachers with guidelines for making decisions about how to make problem solving a central aspect of their instruction.  Read more at NCTM .

Problem Solving Teaching Methods

Teaching students these 4 steps for solving problems allows them to have a process for unpacking difficult problems.  

As you teach, model the process of using these 4 steps to solve problems.   Then, encourage students to use these steps as they solve problems.   Click here for Posters, Bookmarks, and Labels to use in your classroom to promote the use of the problem solving steps in math.  

How Problem Solving Skills Develop

Problem solving skills are developed over time and are improved with effective teaching practices.  In addition, teachers need to select rich tasks that focus on the math concepts the teacher wants their students to explore. 

Problem Solving 4 Steps

Understand the problem.

 Read & Think

• Circle the needed information and underline the question. 
• Write an answer STEM sentence.  There are_____ pages left to read. 

Plan Out How to Solve the Problem

Make a Plan

• Use a strategy.  (Draw a Picture, Work Backwards, Look for a Pattern, Create a Table, Bar Model)
• Use math tools.

Do the Problem

Solve the Problem

• Show your work to solve the problem.  This could include an equation. 

Check Your Work on the Problem

Answer & Check

• Write the answer into the answer stem.
• Does your answer make sense?
• Check your work using a different strategy.

Check out these Printables for Problem Solving Steps in Math .

Teaching Problem Solving Strategies

A problem solving strategy is a plan used to find a solution.  Understanding how a variety of problem solving strategies work is important because different problems require you to approach them in different ways to find the best solution. By mastering several problem-solving strategies, you can select the right plan for solving a problem.  Here are a few strategies to use with students:

• Draw a Picture
• Work Backwards
• Look for a Pattern
• Create a Table 

Why is Using Problem Solving Steps For Math Important?

Problem solving allows students to develop an understanding of concepts rather than just memorizing a set of procedures to solve a problem.  In addition, it fosters collaboration and communication when students explain the processes they used to arrive at a solution. Through problem-solving, students develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, become more engaged, and see the importance of mathematics in their lives. 

NCTM Process Standards

In 2011 the Common Core State Standards incorporated the NCTM Process Standards of problem-solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and connections into the Standards for Mathematical Practice.  With these process standards, the focus became more on mathematics through problem solving.   Students could no longer just develop procedural fluency, they needed to develop conceptual understanding in order to solve new problems and make connections between mathematical ideas. 

Engaging Students to Learn in Mathematics Class

Engaging students to learn in math class will help students to love math.  Children develop a dislike of math early on and end up resenting it into adult life.   Even in the real world, students will likely have to do some form of mathematics in their personal or working life.  So how can teachers make math more interesting to engage students in the subject? Read more at 5 Best Strategies for Engaging Students to Learn in Mathematics Class

Teachers can promote number sense by providing rich mathematical tasks and encouraging students to make connections to their own experiences and previous learning.

Sign up on my webpage to get this Freebie of 71 Math Number Puzzles delivered to your inbox to use with your students.  Providing opportunities to do math puzzles daily is one way to help students develop their number sense.  CLICK Here to sign up for  71 Math Number Puzzles and check out my website.

Promoting a Growth Mindset

Research shows that there is a link between a growth mindset and success. In addition, kids who have a growth mindset about their abilities perform better and are more engaged in the classroom.  Students need to be able to preserve and make mistakes when problem solving.  

Read more … 5 Powerful and Easy Lessons Teaching Students How to Get a Growth Mindset

Here are some Resources to Use to Grow a Growth Mindset

• Free Mindset Survey
• Growth Mindset Classroom Display Free
• Growth Mindset Lessons

Using Word Problems

Story Problems and word problems are one way to promote problem solving.   In addition, they provide great practice in using the 4 steps of solving problems.   Then, students are ready for more challenging problems.  

For Kindergarten

• Subtraction within 5

For First Grade

• Word Problems to 20
• Word Problems of Subtraction

For Second Grade

• Two Step Word Problems with Addition and Subtraction
• Grade 2 Addition and Subtraction Word Problems
• Word Problems with Subtraction 

For Third Grade

• Word Problems Division and Multiplication
• Multiplication Word Problems

For Fourth Grade

• Multiplication Area Model
• Multiplicative Comparison Word Problems

Resources for Problem Solving

• 3 Act Tasks
• What’s the Best Proven Way to Teach Word Problems with Two Step Equations?
• 5 Powerful and Easy Lessons Teaching Students How to Get a Growth Mindset
• 5 Powerful Ideas to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset in Mathematics

Problem Solving Steps For Math 

In mathematics, problem solving is one of the most important topics to teach.  Learning to problem solve helps students apply mathematics to real-world situations. In addition, it is used for a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. 

By providing rich mathematical tasks and engaging puzzles, students improve their number sense and mindset about mathematics.  Click Here to get this Freebie of 71 Math Number Puzzles delivered to your inbox to use with your students. 

Check out  The Free Ultimate Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys to use to cultivate a growth mindset classroom.

Start by modeling using the problem solving steps in math and allowing opportunities for students to use the steps to solve problems.   As students become more comfortable with using the steps and have some strategies to use,  provide more challenging tasks.  Then, students will begin to see the importance of problem solving in math and connecting their learning to real-world situations. 

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5 Easy Steps to Solve Any Word Problem in Math

• February 27, 2021

Picture this my teacher besties.  You are solving word problems in your math class and every student, yes every student knows how to solve word problems without immediately entering a state of confusion!  They know how to attack the problem head-on and have a method to solve every single problem that is presented to them.  

How Do You Solve Word Problems in Math?

Ask yourself this, what do you think is the #1 phrase a student says as soon as they see a word problem? 

You guessed it, my teacher friend,  I don’t know how to do this!  I think the most common question I get when I’m teaching my math classes, is how do I solve this?  

Students see word problems and immediately enter freak-out mode!  Let’s take solving word problems in the classroom and make it easier for students to SOLVE the problem!

How to Solve Word Problems Step by Step 

There are so many methods   that students can choose from when learning how to solve word problems.  The 4 step method is the foundation for all of the methods that you will see, but what about a variation of the 4 step method that every student can do just because they get it. 

Students are most likely confused about how to solve word problems because they have never used a consistent method over the years.   I’m all about consistency in my classroom.  Fortunately, in my school district, I get to teach most of the students year after year because of how small our class sizes are.   So I’m going to give you a method based on the 4 step method, that allows all students to be successful at solving word problems.  

Even the most unmotivated math student will learn how to solve word problems and not skip them!

Tips, Tricks, and  Teaching Strategies to Solving Word Problems in Math

Going back to the 4 step method just in case you need a refresher.  If you know me at all a little reminder of “oh yeah I remember that now” always helps me!  

4 steps in solving word problems in math:

• Understand the Problem
• Plan the solution
• Solve the Problem 
• Check the solution

This 4 step method is the basis of the method I’m going to tell you all about.  The problem isn’t with the method itself, it is the fact that most students see word problems and just start panicking!

Why can they do an entire assignment and then see a word problem and then suddenly stop?  Is there a reason why books are designed with word problems at the end? 

These are questions that I constantly have asked myself over the last several years.  I finally got to the point where my students needed a consistent approach to solving word problems that worked every single time.  

The first thing I knew I needed to start doing was introducing students to word problems at the beginning of each lesson.

Once students first see the word problems at the beginning of the lesson, they are less likely to be scared of them when it comes time to do it by themselves! 

This also will increase their confidence in the classroom.  In case you missed it, I shared all about how I increase my students’ confidence in the classroom.  

Wonder how increasing their confidence will help keep them motivated in the classroom?

So confident motivated students will see word problems that could be on their homework, any standardized test, and say I GOT THIS! 

Steps to Solving Word Problems in Mathematics

We are ready to SOLVE any word problem our students are going to encounter in math class.  

Here are my 5 easy steps to SOLVE any word problem in math:

• S – State the objective
• O – Outline your plan
• L – Look for Key Details – Information 
• V –  Verify and Solve
• E – Explain and check your solution

Do you want to learn how to implement this 5 steps problem-solving strategy into your classroom?  I’m hosting a FREE workshop all about how to implement this strategy in your classroom!  

I am so excited to be offering a workshop to increase students’ confidence in solving word problems.  The workshop is held in my Facebook Group The Round Robin Math Community. It also will be sent straight to your inbox and you can watch it right now!

If you’re interested, join today and all the details will be sent to you ASAP!

I will see you there!

PS.  Need the SOLVE method for your bulletin board for your students’ math journals/notebooks?  Check out this bulletin board resource here:

Love, Robin

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Robin Cornecki

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Hi, I'm Robin!

 I am a secondary math teacher with over 19 years of experience! If you’re a teacher looking for help with all the tips, tricks, and strategies for passing the praxis math core test, you’re in the right place!

I also create engaging secondary math resources for grades 7-12! 

Learn more about me and how I can help you here .

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