How Do You Solve Math Story Problems?
Learn the right way to read, understand and solve math story problems. First, read the problem. That might sound like a silly thing to say because it’s so obvious, but actually, many students don’t read the problems carefully. They skim over them, or read them so sloppily, that they don’t understand what the given information is, and what is being asked. Pay attention to what the given information is, and what is being asked. The second step is to decide how to use variables, expressions or equations to represent the information and the question of the problem. This normally is what students find to be the hardest step. The third step will be just solving the equation. The fourth step will express our answer in terms of the question of the problem. The fifth step will be a check to make sure our answer makes sense and is correct.
