My 11-year old son is having a hard time grasping word problems in his math class. Help!?

Question

He is in 6th grade. A-B student all through elementary years. Math is his favorite subject, but he does not seem to understand what it is he's supposed to be looking for in these word problems. If it's just a regular, written out problem, he has no difficutly, but as soon as you add words in between the numbers, he gets lost. Thanks for any suggestions.

Answer 1

Try getting him to copy down the problem. Then he can extract all of the important numbers and facts. Let him do this, and then slowly get him to do it without copying the problem down. You could also try having him read the problem and draw pictures for it. This is something my teachers have always encouraged so that you can get a clear understanding off the problem. He needs to be able to rid the problem of the extra information by processing the problem. Have him repeat the problem a few times and look for facts and hard figures. Make sure that he understands basic terminology also (i.e. difference, product, multiple, remainder, etc.).

Don't worry, lots of kids have this problem at first!!

Answer 2

To solve these word problems, he first needs to identify the numbers in the problem and the key words that represent math expressions. The easiest way to learn to do this is to copy out the whole problem. Then circle the numbers. Put boxes around the key words that represent math expressions. Then rewrite the problem, using just the numbers and translating the key words into math expressions.

For example: "John, Jim and Joe are going to Share an apartment and each agrees to pay an equal share of the total expenses. If the rent is $500, the utilities are $200 and the phone bill is $65, how much is each roommate going to pay?"

The numbers are: 500, 200, 65, and 3 (the number of roommates)
the key words are: equal share and total.

For more tips on solving word problems, check out these great resources: (see sources, below)

Answer 3

One thing you can do is to change all of the numbers to words. For example 6 x 72 can be six times seventy two. If he still has a problem then he has a reading comprehension problem and may require extra training in recognizing mathematical concepts that are written out.

Answer 4

Boy can I empathize!! I hated story problems in Math!! There seemed to be no logic to them!! Problem is I read them like a story and when through, said "So?"

Is there someone in your neighborhood a little older that you could pay to come and tutor him? I had a tutor two grades a head and it made it easier, I think, to have it explained in a way I understood. (kid to kid). I still struggled with them but the extra help and extra practice got me a passing grade....

Is he by chance left-handed, like me? It could be something to do with how he disemminates information... Some people are logical, others need to memorize.... I was the latter because there didn't seem to be any sense to the sequence of steps necessary to complete a Math problem with the formula...

You are wise to try and help him now. It only compounds as he reaches higher grades.

Good luck!

Answer 5

As a teacher, that is my students biggest problem. These are the guidelines I give them. Hopefully it helps. Also feel free to email me for help. I also do tutoring in my spare time.

How to Solve Word Problems
The most difficult homework assignment for most math students is working story/word problems. Solving word problems requires excellent reading comprehension and translating skills.

Students often have difficulty substituting English terms for algebraic symbols and equations. But once an equation is written, it is usually easily solved. To help you solve word problems follow these 10 steps:

Step 1 - Read the problem three times. Read the problem quickly the first time as a scanning procedure. As you are reading the problem the second time, answer these three questions:

What is the problem asking me? (Usually at the end of the problem)
What is the problem telling me that is useful? (Cross out unneeded information).
What is the problem implying? (Usually something you have been told to remember). Read the problem a third time to check that you fully understand its meaning.
Step 2 - Draw a simple picture of the problem to make it more real to you (e.g., a circle with an arrow can represent travel in any form - by train, by boat, by plane, by car, or by foot).

Step 3 - Make a table of information and leave a blank space for information you are not told.

Step 4 - Use as few unknowns in your table as possible. If you represent all the unknown information in terms of a single letter do so! When using more than one unknown, use a letter that reminds you of that unknown. Then write down what your unknown represents. This eliminates the problem of assigning right answer to the wrong unknown. Remember, you have to create as many separate equations as you have unknowns.

Step 5 - Translate the English terms into an algebraic equation using the list of terms in (Translating English Terms into Algebraic Symbols), and (Translating English Words into Algebraic Expressions). Remember the English terms are sometimes stated in a different order than the algebraic terms.

Step 6 - Immediately retranslate the equation, as you now have it, back into English. The translation will not sound like a normal English phrase, but the meaning should be the same as the original problem. If the meaning is not the same, the equation is incorrect and needs to be rewritten. Rewrite the equation until it means the same as the English phrase.

Step 7 - Review the equation to see fit is similar to equations from your homework and if it makes sense. Some formulas dealing with specific word problems may need to be rewritten. Distance problems, for example, may need to be written solving for each of the other variables in the formula. Distance = Rate x Time; therefore, Time = Distance/Rate, and Rate = Distance/Time. Usually, a distance problem will identify the specific variable to be solved.

Step 8 - Solve the equation using the rules of algebra

Remember: Whatever is done to one side of the equation must be done to the other side of the
equation. The unknown must end up on one side of the equation, by itself. If you have more than one unknown, then use the substitution or elimination method to solve the equations.

Step 9 - Look at your answer to see if it makes common sense.

Example: If tax was added to an item, it should cost more or if a discount was applied to an item it should cost less. Is there more than one answer? Does your answer match the original question? Does your answer, have; the correct units?

Step 10 - Put your answer back into the original equation to see if it is correct If one side of the equation equals the other side of the equation, then you have the correct answer. If you do not have the correct answer, go back to Step 5.

Translating English Terms Into Algebraic Symbols
Sum +
Add +
In addition +
More than +
Increased +
In excess +
Greater +
Decreased by -
Less than -
Subtract -
Difference -
Diminished Reduce -
Remainder -
Times as much x
Percent of x
Product x
Interest on x
Per /
Divide /
Quotient /
Quantity ( )
Is =
Was =
Equal =
Will be =
Results =
Greater than >
Greater than or equal to ³
Less than <
Less than or equal to £

Translating English Words Into Algebraic Expressions
Ten more than x x + 10
A number added to 5 5 + x
A number increased by 13 x + 13
5 less than 10 10 - 5
A number decreased by 7 x - 7
Difference between x and 3 x - 3
Difference between 3 and x 3 - x
Twice a number 2x
Ten percent of x 0.10x
Ten times x 10x
Quotient of x and 3 x/3
Quotient of 3 and x 3/x
Five is three more than a number 5 = x + 3
The product of 2 times a number is 10 2x = 10
One half a number is 10 x/2 = 10
Five times the sum of x and 2 5(x + 2)
Seven is greater than x 7 > x
Five times the difference of a number and 4 5(x - 4)
Ten subtracted from 10 times a number is
that number plus 5 10x - 10 = x + 5
The sum of 5x and 10 is equal to the product of x and 15 5x + 10 = 15x
The sum of two consecutive integers (x) + (x + 1)
The sum of two consecutive even integers (x) + (x + 2)
The sum of two consecutive odd integers

Answer 6

I am a whiz at math, and did many problems in my head. When I got to word problems, I got confused. It's all because he IS so good at math that he's getting so confused. THis is becuase he's trying to find NUMBERS when he's supposed to find the Numbers IN HIS HEAD.

Take the problem apart, piece by piece. Write down any important numbes he feels he should and label them.

Example. A grocer has a pound of apples and a pound of oranges. Oranges go for $1. a pound and Apples go for 1.50 a pound. How much will Half a pound of oranges and half a pound of apples cost?

So, write down
Apples $1.00 per pound
Oranges $1.50 per pound.
Now you can see the math. HALF of a pound of apples....look at the number you can see easily that this would be ½ x $1.00 = .50. The same for the Oranges: ½ x $1.50 = .75
Now, you can see that the two added together are
.50 + .75 = $1.25.

Answer 7

All problems are really word problems but that's not what he is seeing on paper. Take a "regular" problem....2+2=4 and Write it out.

Two plus two equals what?

Then go on to add the trains....A red train and a blue train are traveling east at 60mph, Two trains are waiting at the station. How many trains are at the station when the red and blue train arrive?

He hopefully will grasp this concept and go on to college and commute on the blue train.

Good Luck.

Answer 8

High school already? Like the 9th grade? Did he skip some grades along the way, because that might explain why he is acting the way he is. I was 15 when I started the 9th grade, it's usually 14-15 year olds that start high school. If your son has skipped grades, he may not have the mentality to be there, not in the smarts department, but rather in the able to co habitat with the older kids and are doing things to prove himself. If you are from somewhere different where high school means something else, he may still be trying to prove himself to other kids in order to have bullies leave him alone, which is why he pulled the pants down of the other child, it sounds like he might need to talk to someone outside of the school like a counselor to come to grips with his anger issue and why he is being diruptive like that.

Answer 9

Have him make a list of all the numbers in the problem with one or two words to describe them, then turn the numbers into an equation.

Answer 10

Awww word problems the enemy of most children. I couldn't get those either. I would speak to the teacher, he/she may be albe to offer after school help or suggest a tutor. Your son is not alone in this. I think he needs some extra help. Are you any good at these? Can you help him?