Just like learning to ride a bike, learning how to solve word problems in math class can be a difficult skill for many students. However, with a little creativity and some strategic instruction, word problems can become second nature, just like riding a bike!
Keywords-The Training Wheels of Word Problems
When I was a 2nd grade teacher, I thought that keywords were super helpful when it came to students knowing what operation to use when solving word problems. And to be fair, they were, when the only operations my students used to solve word problems were adding and subtracting. But then I moved to 3rd grade. All of the sudden, keywords such as "in all" were being used for both addition and multiplication word problems. How were my students supposed to know which operation they should use if the keywords were used for multiple types of word problems?
Using keywords to help with word problems is like using training wheels on a bike. When kids are first learning to ride a bike, many of them start with training wheels. This allows them to learn how to do essentials skills to successfully ride a bike such as pedal and steer without having to worry about falling. Likewise, keywords can be helpful to students when they are first starting to solve word problems. Similar to how the training wheels offer support to beginning bike riders, keywords offer support to students who are still developing their reading skills when they begin to solve word problems.
However just like many kids find that using training wheels on their bike can eventually prevent them from being able to ride as fast as they want, relying on keywords when solving word problems can also eventually slow our students down. After all, if "altogether" can be used in both addition and multiplication word problems, how are our students supposed to know how to differentiate between these types of word problems if the only strategy they have is to rely on keywords?
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It's Time to Take off the Training Wheels
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So, what can we do instead of just teaching our students to rely on keywords when they tackle word problems? Well, instead of zeroing in on keywords, it's super important for us as teachers to stress the value of reading the whole problem carefully. When students fixate on just the keywords, they can easily overlook crucial details that give the problem context and meaning. By guiding them to read everything, we help them spot relevant information, understand how different parts connect, and really get the context before rushing to a solution.
But as you probably know, many students find it tough to read and fully grasp word problems. The language can be pretty complicated, with tricky structures and vocabulary that can seem overwhelming. This often leads to misunderstandings and frustration. Some students might struggle to turn the story of a word problem into mathematical ideas, especially if they're not super confident in their reading or have trouble picturing the scenarios. The good news is that there are some great strategies we can use to help our students boost their word problem skills and feel more confident facing these challenges, even if they’re not the strongest readers!
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Strategy 1: Focus on the Context
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Instead of teaching my students to use just keywords, I like to teach them to focus on the context of the word problem they are solving to help them know how to solve it. For example, we often talk about how we use multiplication when there are equal groups, so if a word problem describes a situation where the group sizes are all the same size, it is a fairly good indicator that the word problem is a multiplication word problem. If a word problem has a starting total and there are no equal groups, it usually indicates a subtraction word problem. This strategy is helpful because it gives students some guidance on what to look for specifically instead of having students rely on keywords that can be used for different kinds of word problems.
Strategy 2: SQR.png)
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SQR stands for Search, Question, and Resolve. We often encourage our students to annotate text during our reading block, so why don't we do it our math block when students are solving word problems? By applying the SQR strategy to math word problems, we can help students enhance their word-problem comprehension and problem-solving skills. Here's how it can be effectively implemented:
During the search part of SQR, your students should be circling or highlighting or underlining any information in the word problem that could help them solve the word problem. This could include the numbers being used, whether or not there is a starting total, if there are equal groups, and yes, even keywords!
For the question part of SQR, your students should be making sure that they understand what the question is asking them. This seems obvious, but it's important. A few years ago, I was rushing to complete a word problem with one of my math groups before it was time for recess, so I could start with my next group after recess. Because we were rushing, we didn't use SQR and didn't carefully read the question. Due to this rushing, we misread the question, which caused our group to choose the wrong operation when solving the word problem, which meant we had to redo the problem. If we had used SQR and made sure we understood what the question was asking us, we could have avoided the mistake and saved time. Reading carefully and thoroughly allows students to verify their understanding and confirm they haven't missed any crucial details.
R is for resolve. At this point, your students should be familiar with the information they've been given and the question that the word problem is asking them to solve. Once we get to resolve I like to ask my students a few questions:
1.) Are there equal groups? (indicates multiplication or division)
2.) Is there a starting total? (indicates division or subtraction)
3.) What important information were you given?
4.) What question does the problem want you to answer?
5.) What do you think you should do to solve the problem?
Encouraging students to slow down and apply the SQR strategy helps build their confidence and problem-solving skills, fostering a deeper comprehension of the word problems. By taking the time to Survey, Question, and Resolve, students can break down word problems into manageable parts, allowing them to engage more thoughtfully. This approach not only aids in retention but also empowers students to become independent word-problem solvers.
Confident Word-Problem Solvers
I’ve implemented these comprehension strategies in my math classroom for several years now and they have been such a game-changer! It’s amazing to see how much more confident my students become when it comes to tackling word problems. By explicitly teaching my students what they should look for in a word problem for each different type of operation, and by explicitly teaching my students how to annotate a word problem using SQR, word problems in my classrooms have become less intimidating and more approachable. It’s not just about how students tackle word problems it has also boosted my students' confidence. Word problems have become much more engaging and accessible for everyone, and that’s a win in my book!
I really hope you found these strategies useful! If you're looking forward to bringing similar changes to your classroom, I'd love for you to join my email list! As a little thank you, I'll send you a set of anchor charts that break down those two word problem-solving strategies we talked about. These charts will be super helpful for your students and will really reinforce what you've learned. Don't let this chance to boost your teaching resources slip by—sign up today and let's help your students tackle word problems with confidence!
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