I am trying to remind my students of all of the words that let a student know when to add or subtract in word problems. I already have some words, but I know that there are more. Any help is appreciated!
adding: plus, more, join, altogether, in all, sum, total, both, add
subtracting: less, how many more, minus, (take) away, fewer, difference, how many are left, remains,
also for subtraction: words of measurement ending in "er" like "how much higher" or "how much heavier" or "how much taller" help. It's actually the how much part that would help the most.
The problem with teaching kids to look for key words is that they are not always going to help them figure out what process to use. for example the following problem uses the word different but you don't subtract to find the answer Drawing a picture would be the best way to solve the problem. The three little pigs each built their house out of a different material. How many different ways could they arrange their houses?
The strategies below are much better.
Word Problems Solving Strategies
Find a Pattern
Make a Table
Work Backwards
Guess and Check
Draw a Picture
Make a List
Write a Number Sentence
Use Logical Reasoning
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03-08-2006, 03:18 PM
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