Why word problems are hard
A child can be perfectly capable of calculating (doing a column addition, knowing their times tables) and still get completely stuck on a word problem. That's normal: solving a problem needs two different skills, one after the other:
- Understanding the situation described by the question — a reading and logic skill.
- Translating that situation into a calculation, then carrying it out — the calculation skill.
Most difficulties come from the first step, not the second. That's why there's no point drilling calculation if the child hasn't yet understood what they need to calculate.
The 4-step method
- Understand. Read the question (twice if needed). Try to retell it in your own words. Identify: what do we know (the facts)? What are we looking for (the question)?
- Choose the operation. Think about what's happening in the story: are quantities being brought together (addition), taken away (subtraction), a group repeated (multiplication), or shared out (division)?
- Calculate. Set out the chosen operation and work through it carefully.
- Check. Does the result make sense given the story? A number of children can't be negative; a total price must be bigger than each price on its own…
Keywords that hint (with caution)
Certain words in the question hint at which operation to use — but they're hints, not hard rules. Always check against the real meaning of the story.
- Addition: "in total", "altogether", "more", "combine".
- Subtraction: "left", "fewer", "lost", "the difference", "how many more/fewer".
- Multiplication: "each", "times", identical groups repeated.
- Division: "share equally", "split", "how many in each group", "how many groups".
Drawing a diagram
For stubborn problems, drawing a simple diagram helps enormously to visualise the situation: circles to represent objects, a bar split into parts to represent a total, a timeline for a story that changes over time… The drawing doesn't need to be pretty, just clear enough for you.
A worked example
Question (age 8 level): "Leo has 24 marbles. He wins 15 at break time, then gives 8 to his friend. How many marbles does he have now?"
- Understand: Leo starts with 24 marbles. Two things happen: he wins some (+15), then gives some away (−8). We want the final number.
- Choose the operation: winning → addition. Giving away → subtraction. Both need doing, in the order of the story.
- Calculate: 24 + 15 = 39, then 39 − 8 = 31.
- Check: 31 marbles — a positive, reasonable number, consistent with the story. ✓
Mistakes to avoid
- Jumping straight to the numbers without reading or understanding the story.
- Picking the operation from a single word, without checking the overall meaning.
- Missing a step in a multi-operation problem.
- Never checking whether the final answer makes sense.
Worked exercises
A class of 24 pupils splits into groups of 4. How many groups?
A basket has 8 apples. A second basket has 5 more. How many apples in the second basket?
Sarah has €45. She buys a book for €12 and a game for €18. How much does she have left?
Now it's your turn!
On EasyMaths, your child practises word problems matched to their level, with kind marking, for free.
Start the exercises →Frequently asked questions
How do you know which operation to use in a word problem?
Some words in the question give hints: "in total", "altogether", "more" often point to addition; "left", "fewer" point to subtraction; "each", "times" point to multiplication; "share equally", "split" point to division. But you must always check against the meaning of the story, not just a single word.
Why does my child get stuck on word problems even though they can calculate?
A word problem needs two different skills: understanding a situation described in words, and only then calculating. A child might be perfectly able to do a column addition but not realise they need to do one at all — it's the understanding of the question that needs work, not the calculation.
At what age should a child be able to solve word problems?
The first very simple problems (with pictures, one step) appear from around age 6. The complexity then increases every year: two steps around age 8, several steps and proportionality from around age 9.