Spooky Strategies for Solving Word Problems

In your group: Discuss the difficulties you have when you try to solve word problems? One person from each group list those difficulties on the board. In your group:

Operation Words  These words can be helpful for you to determine what operation will be used in a problem.  However, you still need to understand what the word problem “ means ”.  The operation words sometimes can be mistaken for the wrong operation.

Example Toby buys two books at Top ‟ s Bookstore. They cost $12.85 together. He pays with a $20 bill. How much change does Toby receive? Wrong solution: $ $20 = $32.85 Correct solution: $20 -$12.85 = $ 7.15 Watch out for misreading the wrong key word!

Different Math Strategies  Make a List  Use Object/Act It Out  Make a Drawing/Use a Model  Make a Table  Make a Graph  Guess and Check/Experiment  Work Backward  Use a Pattern  Use Logic

Make a Model ~ Not the only method to solve word problems, but it can be used to solve most word problems (about 80%)

“ A picture (or a diagram) is worth a thousand words. ”

The 8 Step Process 1.Read the entire problem. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?

2.Decide who is involved in the problem. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia Bobby

3.Decide what is involved in the problem. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia ’ s money Bobby ’ s money

4.Draw unit bars of equal length. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia ’ s money Bobby ’ s money

5.Read each sentence, one at a time. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia ’ s money Bobby ’ s money $10 $6

6.Put the question mark in place. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia ’ s money Bobby ’ s money $10 $6 ?

7.Work the computation to the side or underneath. $10 + $10 = $20 $20 + $6 = $26 OR $10 + $6 = $16 $16 + $10 = $26+ $10 = Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia ’ s money Bobby ’ s money $10 $6

8.Answer the question in a complete sentence. Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether? Alicia and Bobby had $26 altogether.

Now … it ’ s your turn