Maths Word problems are difficult. Even I occasionally get stuck figuring out how to solve a word problem correctly, so think about how our kids might feel!

Many variables contribute to kids’ difficulty with word problems. Fortunately, no child is a hopeless case regarding this difficult talent. We can design an effective plan to assist them by recognizing why our kids may be suffering.

Here are some of the most typical reasons why kids struggle with Maths word problems, and what you can do to help.

#1: Reading comprehension.

One of the primary reasons why some kids struggle with word problems is that they are not just arithmetic problems; they need reading! Furthermore, kids must be able to first understand what is asked, then check what is available to solve the problem and then find out what is required to solve the problem. As a result, a lack of reading comprehension will have a significant impact on a kid’s ability to answer maths word problems.

How To Help

If you find a child failing with word problems due to a lack of reading comprehension, assist them comprehend with the problem statement. The ideal approach to achieve this can differ depending on the child, but here are some suggestions:

• Have the kids create a picture of what’s happening while they read.
• Use photos or other images.
• Act out the word problem!
• Ask several questions while reading the problem to keep kids attentive.
• Change the word problem to be more relevant for the child.

#2: Just looking at the numbers

One typical common difficulty that all math teachers have observed that, kids frequently do not pause to read the problem, instead pulling out the numbers and doing a random operation. Unfortunately, this problem is common because of how math textbooks are generally designed. Of course, the word problems in a certain lesson are relevant to that topic. If I’m teaching a subtraction lesson, kids may expect the subsequent word problems to incorporate subtraction. This has unintentionally taught the kids that they do not need to read the problem; they only need to understand the numbers.

How to Help

There are two things you can do to help in this case. First and foremost, kids must develop the habit of answering a range of word problems on a regular basis. We need to expose kids to maths word problems on a regular basis, but not all of them require the same process to answer. If your curriculum does not include a few practice problems every day, consider adding them to assist diversity the sorts of issues your kids are exposed to.

Another option is to offer them numberless word problems. That is, remove the numbers from the problems so that kids are forced to focus on what is happening. Discuss the problem without using numbers; then, when kids are ready, add the numbers back in. This will assist kids develop the habit of reading the problem.

#3: Tricky Language

One major issue I’ve noticed with math word problems is that many curriculum and test writers utilize complex phrasing intended to confuse kids. I have a mixed views about this strategy, but that’s the way it is! So, even if your kids have excellent reading comprehension and understand how to answer a problem, they will not be distracted by the problem’s language and solve it improperly.

How to Help

Unfortunately, you can’t do much about how math word problems are stated. However, there are still strategies to help your kids avoid being caught up. First, do not educate children that certain terms represent a certain operation. This was earlier a standard technique, but textbook corporations caught on and are now using it against us. If kids have already been taught something, you may need to unteach it.

The language used is still crucial to pay attention to; we simply don’t want kids to believe that specific phrases always signify something.

Teaching kids to utilize language to discern whether the numbers in the issue are a part or the total is far more successful.