How to Solve Math Word Problems

It is important not to get bogged down by the size or the amount of information given in the worksheet. Be it 3rd grade problems or highly complex college level problems, half your woes are over if you approach them with a clear frame of mind.

Teachers and parents should encourage clear thinking by supporting methods like interactive puzzle solving, asking riddles, playing oral word games, or casually slipping in dodging questions on math tables in conversations. These efforts increase inquisitive and analytical thinking right from an early age, which are very crucial for solving such problems.

The first step is to quickly read the problem and get a brief idea about it. In many problems there are certain important parts, some redundant information, and a particular knowledge set required. Assess the problem based on these factors. Kids can be taught to do the same by parents or teachers.

The next part is determining exactly what is required to be done or what is asked in the question. For example, make sure if the question demands addition or division of the parameters, age, height, or measure of a quantity.

Next step is to read the entire question again and analyze all the relevant information that can assist you in solving the problem. Identify the parts to be deduced or conversions to be made to prepare a set of 'given' information to reach the final answer.

Check what units are used and whether answer is to be obtained in the same or different form. It is always a good practice to jot down all the minute details required in your own form. This gives a better understanding of the problem and also avoids any errors in processing the information.

Break down the problem and focus on it in parts by asking yourself what is needed to get to the final answer. Quite often, a problem is divided into sub-parts and you must proceed logically one part after another. Avoid jumping to conclusions and carefully chalk out the relevant information to get going with the process.

Once you have understood and garnered all the information, try to solve the problem carefully, especially by avoiding errors in calculations and unit conversions. Once you follow these steps exactly in the sequence mentioned, you will definitely find the answer.

Verify whether the answer obtained can be a logical solution to the question, in order to avoid any misrepresentation. Many times, the calculation and the processing is accurate, but you put in the wrong unit or simply forget to add a zero and so on.