Rebecca Wingard-Nelson - Animal Word Problems Starring Addition and Subtraction: Math Word Problems Solved

Word ProblemsNo Problem!

Are you having trouble with word problems? How can you tell whether there is enough information to solve a word problem? Learn all the steps needed to solve addition and subtraction word problemsthe mystery of word problems will be solved!

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"This book provides elementary students with a great introduction to problem solving and uses wonderful examples involving the stars of the book: addition and subtraction."

About the Author

Rebecca Wingard-Nelson develops and writes math assessment tests, exit exams, proficiency tests, textbooks, and workbooks.

Why do I have to do math?

Math is used in your life every day.
Word problems show you some of the ways.

But I hate word problems.

But you use word problems all the time, and you probably don't even realize it.

The stories in word problems would never happen!

Sometimes math word problems don't look very real. A lot of real-life word problems are very hard to solve. For now, have fun getting started on word problems about animals.

How can this book help me?

This book will give you helpful tips for solving a word problem. Learn how to understand the question, how to plan a way to solve it, and how to check your answer. Youll see that word problems really are no problem after all!

Word problems might be part of your homework, on a test, or in your life. These tips can help you solve them, no matter where they show up.

When you get a problem right the first time, good for you! When you dont get a problem right the first time, but you learn from your mistakes, AWESOME for you! You learned something new!

New problems build on old ones. If you dont understand todays problem, tomorrows problem will be even harder to understand.

The more you practice anything, the better you become at it. You cant play an instrument or play a sport well without practice. Homework problems are your practice.

If you get stuck, move to the next problem. Do the ones you know how to solve first. You'll feel more confident. And you won't miss the ones you know because you ran out of time. Go back later and try the problems you skipped.

When someone is helping you, asking good questions tells the person what you dont understand. If you dont ask questions, you will never get answers!

If you have tried everything you can think of but are only getting frustrated, take a break. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Stretch your arms and legs. Get a drink of water or a snack. Then come back and try again.

The first time you try to solve a word problem, you might come up with an answer that does not make sense, or that you know is not right. Dont give up! Check your math. Try solving the problem a different way. If you quit, you wont learn.

In some problems, you will see clue spotters. A bold red word will help you spy clue words in the problem.

Word problems can be solved by following four easy steps.

One kind of stickleback fish has five spines on its back. Another kind of stickleback has three. If the fish swim together, how many spines are there in all?

Read the problem carefully.
Put the problem in your own words.

What do you know?
One stickleback has five spines.
One stickleback has three spines.

What are you trying to find?
The number of spines the fish have together.

To understand the problem, ask yourself other questions, like:
What is happening in the problem? Are there any clue words? Have I ever seen a problem like this one?

Some problems tell you what plan to use, like make a table or draw a picture. For other problems, you make your own plan. Use whatever plan makes the most sense and is easiest for you. Some plans you might try are:

How can you solve this problem?
You can write an equation to add the number of spines on each fish together.

It is time to do the math! If you find that your plan is not working, make a new plan. Don't give up the first time. Write your answer. Make sure you include the units.

Lets write an equation.
One stickleback has 5 spines, the other has 3 spines. Add 5 + 3.

5 + 3 = 8

If the two fish swim together, there are 8 spines in all.

The problem is solved! But you aren't finished yet. Take a good look at your answer. Does it make sense? Did you include the units? Did you use the right numbers to begin? Estimate or use a different operation to check your math. Is there another plan you could have used to solve the problem?

Does the answer make sense?
Yes

Is the math correct?
Yes, 5 + 3 = 8.

Is there another way to solve the problem?
Yes, you can draw a picture and count the spines.

Try the other plan and see if you get the same answer.
You can count 8 spines on the two fish. Either plan gives the same answer, 8 spines.

An equation is a sentence that uses numbers.

An inchworm took 3 hours to crawl up a tree. It took 2 more hours to crawl along a branch to a leaf. In all , how long did it take the inchworm to reach the leaf? Write an equation to show how long it took.

What do you know?
The inchworm took 3 hours to crawl up the tree. It took 2 hours to crawl along the branch.

What are you trying to find?
How long it took the inchworm to reach the leaf.

The problem tells us to find the answer, then write an equation to show what happened. Lets find the answer by counting on.

The inchworm took 3 hours to crawl up the tree. Start at 3. It took 2 more hours to crawl along the branch.

Start at 3, then count two more: 4, 5.

It took the inchworm 5 hours in all to reach the leaf.

Now, write the equation.
Think about the whole story.

3 hours up tree + 2 hours along branch = 5 hours

3 + 2 = 5

Does the answer make sense? Yes.
Did you answer the right question? Yes.

How can you tell if a word problem is an addition problem?

Mia has geckos living in her garden. There are 5 types of geckos that are active at night. There are 2 other types of geckos that are active during the day. How many types of geckos are in Mias garden in total?

What do you know?
Mia has 5 types of night geckos in her garden. She also has 2 types of day geckos.