Eight Strategies to Solving Real World Application Problems Sandra Evans

Many students find word problems overwhelming, especially if they are multiple steps. Here are eight simple strategies that your students can use to conquer word problems with confidence!

Strategy #1 State or read the problem (Close Read). Completing a close reading of the problem will help students to figure out what is actually happening and lead them to the next strategy. It is beneficial for students to read the problem more than once.

Strategy #2 Look for what I need to find.  Sometimes students can be overwhelmed with word problems in general, especially if the passage is long or the equation has multiple steps.  For this strategy, students will reread the problem focusing on the tasks needed to complete the problem. They can highlight and underline key information needed to solve the equation.

Strategy #3 Figure out what I already know.  If students are able to pinpoint what they already know about the problem, it will further enable them to figure our strategies needed to solve the equation and find the solution.  Students can get that “aha” moment when they can evaluate what they already know and then start to use that information the figure out the answers to what they did not know.

Strategy #4  List my strategies.  At this stage students should list all the strategies they will use to solve the equation.

Strategy #5 Show the problem using my strategies. Students will show/model the problem using the strategies or skills they chose to best solve the problem. (This is basically where they show their work).

Strategy #6  Record my solution. Students will write the answer to the problem.

Strategy #7 Write down your answer as a statement.  Many students leave out this step. They will write down a solution but fail to answer the question. Here is one example of a completed statement. For example: “After selling 25 candles during the fundraiser, Jill had eight candles remaining.”

Strategy 8 Check your answers. Is it reasonable? Justify! Students should always check their answers to make sure that they make sense. It is good for students to use multiple ways of checking besides using mental math. If multiple strategies are used, student will be more confident that their answer is correct. They can also fix errors they may find if the answer is incorrect. Students should be able to explain how they got their answer. When students can justify their answer, they are able to adequately show mastery or understanding of the skills being taught. It is also a quick check for the teacher in guiding instruction.

Let’s review the strategies:  State or read the problem.  Look at what I need to find.  Figure out what I already know.  List my strategies.  Show the problem using my strategies.  Record my solution.  Write down my answer as a statement.  Check my answer. Is it reasonable? Justify.

Final Thoughts Using these eight simple strategies will help to alleviate fear students may have when solving real world application problems. Students will gain a sense of empowerment when tackling word problems and be more confident when trying to find solutions to problems they are unfamiliar with.