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Word Problems Common Core Lessons

16 word problems Common Core Lessons. Teacher favorites: 2.OA.1 Second Grade Common Core Lesson and 3.OA.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson. How teachers use these

Word Problems Common Core Lessons

16 word problems Common Core Lessons. Teacher favorites: 2.OA.1 Second Grade Common Core Lesson and 3.OA.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson. How teachers use these

Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson2nd Grade2.OA.1 Second Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 2.OA.1 Second Grade Common Core Lesson, students add and subtract within 100 to solve one and two step word problems using different strategies.

2nd GradeMathAdditionCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd Grade3.OA.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 3.OA.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students match multiplication equations to groups of grocery item to build multiplication skills.

3rd GradeMathArraysCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson4th Grade4.OA.3 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 4.OA.3 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson, students solve multi-step word problems posed with whole numbers using the four operations.

4th GradeMathWord ProblemsCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson5th Grade5.NF.6 Fifth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 5.NF.6 Fifth Grade Common Core Lesson, students solve real world problems involving multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers.

5th GradeMathFractionsCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson5th Grade5.NF.7 Fifth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 5.NF.7 Fifth Grade Common Core Lesson, students apply previous understandings of division to divide unit fractions by whole numbers and whole numbers by fractions.

5th GradeMathDivisionCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson2nd Grade2.MD.8 Second Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 2.MD.8 Second Grade Common Core Lesson, students solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately.

2nd GradeMathMoneyCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson4th Grade4.OA.2 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 4.OA.2 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson, students write a multiplication sentence that matches a multiplicative comparison word problem.

4th GradeMathMultiplicationCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core LessonKindergartenK.OA.2 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson

This K.OA.2 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson includes K.OA.2 Worksheets, K.OA.2 Activities, K.OA.2 Assessment, and K.OA.2 Poster.

KindergartenMathAdditionCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson2nd Grade2.MD.5 Second Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 2.MD.5 Second Grade Common Core Lesson, students will add and subtract within 1000 to solve measurement word problems using different strategies.

2nd GradeMathMeasurementCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd Grade3.MD.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 3.MD.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students tell and write time to the nearest minute to solve word problems involving time intervals on a number line.

3rd GradeMathTelling TimeCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson4th Grade4.MD.2 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 4.MD.2 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson, students use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money.

4th GradeMathMeasurementCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson4th Grade4.MD.3 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 4.MD.3 Fourth Grade Common Core lesson students apply formulas to find the area and perimeter of rectangles in word problems.

4th GradeMathAreaCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson4th Grade4.OA.1 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 4.OA.1 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson, students interpret a word problem as an equation,picture, group description and an answer.

4th GradeMathMultiplicationCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson5th Grade5.MD.5 Fifth Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 5.MD.5 Fifth Grade Common Core Lesson, students solve real world problems involving volume.

5th GradeMathVolumeCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd Grade3.OA.3 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 3.OA.3 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students use multiplication and division strategies within 100 to solve word problems.

3rd GradeMathArraysCommon Core Lessons
Common Core Lesson
Common Core Lesson3rd Grade3.OA.8 Third Grade Common Core Lesson

In this 3.OA.8 Third Grade Common Core Lesson, students solve two-step word problems using the four operations and checking for reasonableness of answer.

3rd GradeMathDivisionCommon Core Lessons
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: shuffled practice teaches kids to choose the right strategy, not just repeat one, and it improved test scores in research (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

16 Common Core Lessons

Teacher favorites right now: 2.OA.1 Second Grade Common Core Lesson, 3.OA.1 Third Grade Common Core Lesson and 4.OA.3 Fourth Grade Common Core Lesson.

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).