Word Problems for Kids: Putting Together or Taking Away? (Grade 1 and Grade 2 Math)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Today we are solving story problems. A story problem is math hiding inside a little story, and I will show you how to find it.

Here is a story. Mia has five apples. She picks three more. How many apples does she have now? Step one: find the numbers. Five, and three.

Step two: what is happening? She picks more, so her apples are growing. More means putting together, and putting together means adding. Words like more, altogether, in total and both tell you to add.

Step three: write the sum and solve it. Five plus three equals eight. Mia has eight apples. Step four: check it makes sense. She had five and got more, so eight is bigger than five. Good!

Here is a different story. Sam has nine balloons. Four fly away. How many are left? The numbers are nine and four. Fly away means some are gone, so this is taking away. Nine take away four is five. Five balloons are left.

So the big question is always: are we putting together, or taking away? Words like more and altogether mean add. Words like left, gone, fewer and fly away mean take away.

Now it's your turn. There are seven birds on a tree. Two more land. How many birds now? Pause and try. More land, so we add. Seven plus two is nine. Nine birds.

Great job! Remember, find the numbers, decide if it is adding or taking away, write the sum, and check it makes sense. Practice story sums in the Math Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!