How to Teach Word Problems to Your Child, Step by Step

By the Practice Buds team · October 30, 2026

Short answer

To solve a word problem, your child reads the story, finds what is being asked, decides whether the amount is growing, shrinking or being compared, and then writes a number sentence. The math is rarely the hard part. The hard part is turning words into an operation, so slow down the reading and practice that step. Regular practice with mixed addition and subtraction word problem worksheets builds the habit.

Why kids find this hard

A child who can do 38 − 15 = 23 on a worksheet may freeze when the same numbers arrive inside a story about a bakery. The story adds a reading task, a decision task and a math task all at once.

Two habits cause most of the trouble. The first is grabbing the numbers and combining them without reading the question. The second is hunting for a "key word" and trusting it. Words like "more" and "left" feel like clear signals, but they fool children all the time. "Maya has 5 more stickers than Leo, and Maya has 12" needs subtraction even though it says "more."

Some problems also hide the unknown. When the missing number is the start or the change instead of the total, the story no longer follows the order of the numbers on the page. Children who only learned "add the two numbers" have nothing to fall back on.

How to help your child solve word problems

Plan for 10 minutes, three or four evenings a week. You need paper, a pencil and one problem at a time.

1. Read the problem aloud together. Then ask your child to retell it in their own words without looking at the page.
2. Ask, "What is the question?" Have your child underline it. Everything else in the story is information.
3. Draw it. A quick sketch of dots, boxes or a bar is enough. Label the parts you know and put a question mark where the answer goes.
4. Decide the story type: is something joining, leaving, or being compared? Say it out loud before picking a sign.
5. Write the number sentence, solve it, and write the answer with its unit, such as "23 cookies."
6. Check by asking, "Does my answer make sense in the story?" If a bakery had 38 cookies and sold 15, the answer cannot be bigger than 38.

Keep the same six steps all week. The routine matters more than any single problem.

Worked example

A bakery had 38 cookies in the morning. It sold 15 before lunch and then baked 20 more. How many cookies does the bakery have now?

Step 1: Retell it: the bakery starts with 38, loses some, then gains some.

Step 2: The question is how many cookies the bakery has now, so the answer is a total at the end.

Step 3: Sketch a row of 38, cross off 15, then add 20.

Step 4: Work in the order of the story. First, 38 − 15 = 23. The bakery has 23 cookies after lunch sales.

Step 5: Then it bakes more: 23 + 20 = 43. The bakery has 43 cookies now.

Step 6: Check. The count went down, then up by more than it went down, so the final total should be bigger than 38. It is, because 43 is more than 38.

A harder one, with a hidden start: Sam gave away 9 marbles and has 14 left. How many did Sam start with? Giving away means the amount shrank, so the start was bigger than 14. Work backward by putting the 9 back: 14 + 9 = 23. Check it: 23 − 9 = 14.

Common mistakes

Choosing the operation from a key word. Your child sees "left" and subtracts, even when the story asks for a total. Spot it when the answer does not fit the story. Fix it by always asking "What is happening in the story?" before choosing a sign, and by mixing problems so that no key word works every time.

Combining every number in the problem. Some problems carry a number that is not needed, such as a time or a page number. Spot it when your child adds three numbers where the story only needs two. Fix it by having them cross out anything that does not help answer the question.

Stopping after the first step. In a two-step problem like the bakery, your child stops at 23. Spot it by rereading the question and asking, "Is this the answer to what they asked?" Fix it by having them write one number sentence per event in the story.

Leaving off the unit. An answer of 43 with no label shows that your child may have lost track of what was counted. Spot it by asking "43 what?" Fix it by making the unit part of every written answer.

Practice ladder

First (grades 1 and 2): One-step stories with small numbers, where your child acts them out with counters before writing anything. Start with addition word problem worksheets and subtraction word problem worksheets on separate days.

Next (grades 2 and 3): Mix the two operations so your child must decide each time. Add comparison stories and stories with a missing start. These are the problems on the mixed sheets, and they are where the retelling step pays off.

Later (grades 3 to 5): Two-step stories, larger numbers and multiplication. When your child is ready, move to multiplication word problem worksheets, where the same six steps still apply.

Most children get comfortable with one-step problems in 2nd grade and two-step problems in 3rd or 4th. A slow start is normal.

FAQ

Should I teach key words? Use them lightly, if at all. They work some of the time and fail often enough to cause errors. A drawing and a retelling work every time.

My child can do the math but gets the wrong answer. What now? That usually means the reading step is being skipped. Have your child retell the story before touching a number, and ask where the question is.

Is it okay to read the problem aloud? Yes. Reading aloud takes away the reading load, so your child can focus on the thinking. Fade it out over time as reading grows stronger.

How many problems a night is enough? Two or three done carefully beat ten done fast. Choose quality over speed and talk through each one.

Practice at home

Start with one problem a night and have your child draw before writing the number sentence. Printable mixed addition and subtraction word problem worksheets with answer keys are on the concept page, and more story skills are in word problem worksheets. Printing needs a free account.