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Word Problems Activities

11 word problems activities. Teacher favorites: Multiplication Comparison Activity and Barnyard Math Word Problems Activity. How teachers use these

Word Problems Activities

11 word problems activities. Teacher favorites: Multiplication Comparison Activity and Barnyard Math Word Problems Activity. How teachers use these

Activity
Activity4th GradeMultiplication Comparison Activity

This multiplication comparison activity for 4th and 5th Grade has students match seaside word problems to equations and solve for the unknown. Answer key included for quick checking.

4th GradeMathDivisionActivities
Activity
Activity1st GradeBarnyard Math Word Problems Activity

This barnyard math word problems activity gives 1st-2nd grade students farm word problem cards, a draw-it sheet and a tic-tac-toe game. An answer key is included.

1st GradeMathBasic OperationsActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenSingle Digit Addition Word Problem Activity

Use this single digit addition word problem activity to help kindergarten and 1st grade students count two picture groups and write the number sentence on 12 self-checking task cards. Answer key included.

KindergartenMathAdditionActivities
Activity
Activity2nd GradeLet's Go Shopping Money Word Problems Activity

This Let's Go Shopping Money Word Problems Activity lets 2nd and 3rd Grade students solve toy store word problems with coins and bills, with an answer key included, so money skills feel real.

2nd GradeMathBasic OperationsActivities
Activity
Activity3rd GradeArithmetic Theme Park Multi-Step Word Problems Activity

This arithmetic theme park multi-step word problems activity has 3rd to 5th graders solve ticket problems and match each answer to a ride. Answer key included.

3rd GradeMathAdditionActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenOcean Math Word Problems Activity

This ocean math word problems activity for Kindergarten to 2nd grade uses 12 self-checking task cards to practice adding and taking away within 8. Answer key included.

KindergartenMathWord ProblemsActivities
Activity
Activity4th GradeFun at the Beach Multiplication Activity

This fun at the beach multiplication activity for 4th-5th grade has students match word problems, tape diagrams, and comparison statements, with a practice page and answer key included.

4th GradeMathBasic OperationsActivities
Activity
Activity3rd GradeReal World Word Problems Activity

This real world word problems activity helps 3rd and 4th grade students match two-step farm word problems to equations and solve them. A recording sheet, practice page and answer key are included.

3rd GradeMathBasic OperationsActivities
Activity
Activity3rd GradeExploring Word Problems Activity

This exploring word problems activity has children match 12 two-step camping word problems to equations with a letter for the unknown. Made for 3rd and 4th grade, with a practice page and answer key included.

3rd GradeMathBasic OperationsActivities
Activity
Activity4th GradeMaking Inferences Math Operations Activity

This making inferences math operations activity helps 4th and 5th grade students use clue words to choose the right operation and solve word problems. An answer key is included for quick checking.

4th GradeMathAdditionActivities
Activity
Activity3rd GradeWho Can Divide Word Problems Activity

This who can divide word problems activity for 3rd and 4th Grade has kids match one- and two-step division problems to equations and solve. Answer key included.

3rd GradeMathBasic OperationsActivities
From our teachers' playbook

Every story has a math problem inside!

What do kids learn about word problems?

Word problems ask kids to read a short story, figure out what is happening, and pick the math that fits. Is something being joined, taken away, compared or shared? Kids learn to find the question, pull out the numbers that matter, and show their thinking with a drawing or an equation: Mia has 8 stickers and gets 5 more. 8 + 5 = 13. As they grow, problems add more steps and bigger numbers. The click moment is when kids stop hunting for keywords and start picturing the story.

Our favorite ways to teach word problems

Word problems are reading and math at the same time. These moves slow kids down just enough.

Read it three times

Model it out loud: first read for the story, second read for the question, third read for the numbers. "What is happening here? What do they want to know?" Kids copy the routine on the next problem, and careless answers drop fast.

Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

Adding Word Problems with 3 Numbers WorksheetTry it withAdding Word Problems with 3 Numbers WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Draw the story

Before any numbers, kids sketch what is happening: circles for apples, a bar for a long ribbon. Then they write the equation under the drawing. A quick picture shows whether the problem is joining or taking away.

Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).

Basic Word Problems WorksheetTry it withBasic Word Problems WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Add or subtract? You decide

Mix addition and subtraction problems on one page so the operation isn't a given. Ask kids to circle the operation before solving. Mixing them builds real thinking instead of copying the last problem.

Why it works: mixing different kinds of problems in one practice set helped students do far better on a later test (Rohrer and Taylor, 2007).

Addition and Subtraction Word Problems WorksheetTry it withAddition and Subtraction Word Problems WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Make it feel like play

Word problems feel real when kids are in the story.

Solving Money Word Problems WorksheetWorksheets

Classroom store

Kids "shop" with play money and solve the word problems that come up. Can you afford two pencils and an eraser?

Open Solving Money Word Problems Worksheet →Solving Perimeter Word Problems WorksheetWorksheets

Fence the garden

How much fence does the bunny garden need? Kids solve perimeter problems and design their own garden.

Open Solving Perimeter Word Problems Worksheet →Writing Subtraction Sentences WorksheetsWorksheets

Write your own

Kids write a story problem for a partner to solve. Silly stories about dinosaurs and pizza are encouraged!

Open Writing Subtraction Sentences Worksheets →

What's on this page

11 Activities

Teacher favorites right now: Multiplication Comparison Activity, Barnyard Math Word Problems Activity and Single Digit Addition Word Problem Activity.

Questions parents and teachers ask us

How do you teach word problems to kids?

Teach a routine: read the problem, find the question, picture what's happening, then choose the operation. Drawing a quick sketch or bar model helps kids see the math before they solve.

Should kids use keywords to solve word problems?

Keywords like "in all" can help, but they often mislead. "How many more" can mean adding or subtracting. Teaching kids to picture the story works better than memorizing words.

Why does my child struggle with word problems?

Word problems need reading, understanding and math all at once. Many kids rush to the numbers without understanding the story. Reading it aloud and drawing it usually helps right away.

What is a two-step word problem?

It's a problem that needs two operations to solve, like adding first and then subtracting. Kids usually see these starting in 2nd and 3rd grade.

Keep exploring

Word Problems ResourcesMath Resources

Written by the Have Fun Teaching team of elementary teachers and homeschoolers. Research: Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3). Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2007). The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning. Instructional Science, 35(6).