Word Problems
Word problems are an important part of Mathematics. Often simple equations can be easy for students. The real challenge is taking that knowledge and applying it to solve problems. In schools around the world, word problems continue to perplex students. To improve, it takes repetition and strategy. These free word problem worksheets are a great stepping stone for your students and will provide them with the practice they need! For more great word problem worksheets, check out Dad Worksheets. They have a variety of fantastic math word problems to solve and they also provide strategies for math word problems.
Grade 2 Addition Word Problems
These grade 2 word problems focus on addition & subtraction. They are scaled easy to difficult (left to right).
Grade 2 Subtraction Word Problems
Grade 3 Word Problems
These grade 3 word problem worksheets focus on addition, subtraction and multiplication.
Grade 4 Word Problems
These grade 4 word problem worksheets focus on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There are a combination of single and multi-step questions to challenge your students.
Grade 5 Word Problems
These grade 5 word problem worksheets focus on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There are a combination of single and multi-step questions to challenge your students.
Solving Word Problems - Tips
There are many strategies when it comes to solving word problems. The strategies you teach/use will be dependent on the age and grade of your students. I teach elementary school Mathematics, more specifically grade 5 & 6, so I will touch on a strategy I use in my class.
- Identify the math. It is extremely important for students to recognise the math concept within the word problem. For example, if you have taught adding fractions, students should be able to recognise when they are being asked to add fractions within a word problem. Within my class, we practice identifying the ‘math’ within problems. Before we try to solve the problem, we must identify the math!
- Write it out plainly. You must write down the information from the problem as simply as you can. Once it is written out, you can work your way through the problem. This is especially important if the word problem is multi-step.
- Draw a picture. Generally students would’ve solved the word problem by now, however, if they have not, this is another strategy to use. This sounds so simple, but it can help students who are more visual learners. Once they start to see it in their minds, they won’t need to draw pictures anymore.
- Check for logic. If you think you have the correct answer, you must check for logic i.e. 5 apples + 5 apples will not equal 100 apples. This step is very important and is often where students trip up. They sometimes rush to get an answer and forget to check for logic.
