problem solving vocabulary

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Problem solving.

Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

Type of English: Business English

Tags: problems at work problems and solutions declaring and diagnosing a problem making suggestions Situation based

Publication date: 09/09/2011

In this lesson, students learn useful language for handling and solving problems at work. Vocabulary for describing different types of problems and solutions is studied. Students then listen to several dialogues and study the expressions used by the speakers to declare and diagnose a problem as well as make suggestions and take action. At the end of the lesson, there is a role play activity in which the language from the lesson is put into practice. There are two animated videos which can be played instead of the dialogue or given to the student(s) as material to take away.

Problem-solving-Ex3

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In this lesson, students learn useful language for handling and solving problems at work. Vocabulary for describing different types of problems and solutions is studied. Students then listen to several dialogues and study the expressions used by the speakers to declare and diagnose a problem as well as make suggestions and take action. At the end of the lesson, there is a role-play activity in which the language from the lesson is put into practice.

ProblemSolvingAE-Ex3.mp3

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Type of English: Business English Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

Type of English: General English Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

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Type of English: Business English Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

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Problem Solving Vocabulary

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Word Problem Vocabulary Sorts {FREE Vocabulary Cards}

By thisreadingmama 10 Comments

Word problems. Just the sound of that term may bring back bad memories. I know it does for me. As an elementary student, I despised word problems with ever fiber of my body. Why? Because, as a struggling reader , I struggled to read and comprehend them. I also wasn’t sure what the problem wanted me to do. It would have helped tremendously if I had studied some word problem vocabulary among other things (like some steps to problem solving).

*This post contains affiliate links.

Word Problem Vocabulary Sorts

I’m definitely not an expert in math, but I do know that there is reading involved with word problems. And I do know that lack of vocabulary  and lack of  figuring out unknown words  leads to a breakdown in comprehension, no matter what kids are reading.

Just recently, I created some word problem vocabulary cards {FREE download at the end of this post} for my 3rd grader, ALuv. As we’ve worked through the different operations this year, we’ve talked about these terms. Now that we’re at the end of our year, I thought it was time to do a little vocabulary review {before that fun standardized end-of-the-year test}.

One of the things we did with our word cards was sort them in our tabletop pocket chart . {Seeing that it’s LEGO week , I tried to make the background of each card look like LEGO bricks .}

We also incorporated our LEGO bricks into the word sorts, too. I wrote the vocabulary words on LEGO bricks and we read and sorted them together. He really liked doing this, as he is a wee bit obsessed with LEGO bricks {or building with anything, really}.

These terms are not meant to just be memorized and sorted. They are meant to be applied to real word problems. So, we have looked for these terms as one the steps to solving word problems.

Books for Teaching Problem Solving to Kids

Since my brain is wired more for literacy, here are a couple of math books I’ve purchased and used heavily as a classroom teacher and as a homeschooling mom.

About Teaching Mathematics by Marilyn Burns is one that I devoured. I’m kind of shocked at the price of the newer edition {the 3rd edition is a little less}, but it is well worth it, in my opinion. Burns’ focus is helping kids move beyond just computation {although that is thoroughly covered} to applying that knowledge to real life situations and problems.

If you teach in the elementary grades, Introduction to Problem Solving {3-5 grades} has been a life-saver for me. After purchasing the problem solving book for PreK-2nd grades a few years ago, which can longer be purchased, it seems}, I purchased the one for 3rd through 5th grades. The problem solving steps are taught as well as a chapter on each of the problem solving strategies, like making a table, choosing an operation, or finding a pattern. By the way, if you teach PreK-2nd grades, I’d also recommend this one for you!

I have one more recommendation that I have not used, but heard good things about from a Reading in Math teacher training I did this past year, Teaching Struggling Readers to Tackle Math Word Problems for Grades 3-5. The thing that struck me about this book was how it ties the basic reading comprehension strategies with comprehending word problems.

 Download these FREE Word Problem Vocabulary Cards HERE .

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May 8, 2015 at 10:11 am

Such a cool use of blocks, great idea!

May 10, 2015 at 10:57 pm

I love the idea of using legos to review the related vocabulary terms! That’s a fun and hands-on way to practice! I actually just wrote about the importance of teaching and understanding math vocabulary so I’m excited to see this! 🙂 As always, thanks for sharing!

May 11, 2015 at 3:20 pm

So cool. I sent you an email, Bethany. 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 7:59 am

I love both ideas of lego stacking vocab words and the pocket chart for different ways to represent + and -,etc. So creative!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!

August 20, 2021 at 3:52 pm

Do you have any ideas/suggestions for a great-grandchild with dyslexia? I do not understand dyslexia and the continuing problems with reading. One day the word is known by sight, the next day it is not. Sounding out every word is time consuming and leads to complete frustration. I am concerned that “I can’t read. I hate school. I hate reading.” thoughts have developed. Any help you can send is appreciated.

May 12, 2022 at 2:06 pm

Check out my dyslexia series! You can find them on the blog. I’m also going to be releasing a dyslexia handbook soon!

[…] Lego Vocabulary Word Sorts | This Reading Mama […]

[…] with word problems, I encourage you to focus on the vocabulary first. To help with that, check out this post from This Reading Mama! She has a great download of math vocabulary cards, as well as a fun way to […]

[…] 2nd Annual LEGO Week page for more super fun LEGO Ideas! Here are the other Friday ideas: LEGO Word Problem Sorts Erupting LEGO Volcano LEGO Man Sun Catcher LEGO Night Light Using LEGO With Reading Worksheets […]

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English Vocabulary for Problems and Defects

Improve your English vocabulary with pictures – learn 10 common English words for problems and defects: scratched, cracked, smashed, torn, ripped, crumpled, stained, chipped, dented, bent, burnt.

Want to increase your vocabulary & improve your fluency?

Image sources: 0 / 1 / 2a / 2b / 3 / 4 / 5a / 5b / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

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Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

Doug Lemov's field notes

• Teaching & Schools
• Coaching & Practice

06.09.15 Active Practice: The Key to Vocabulary

Explicit Vocabulary instruction includes five steps:

• Careful and intentional selection of high-value words
• Framing of a definition that students can use and apply
• Guidance on ‘parameters of use,’ when and how a word occurs in language
• Active practice—time spent using the word in different settings and applications
• Maintenance and reinforcement

Of these, we believe the fourth step, active practice, is the most important. This may come as a bit of a surprise: its benefits are rarely plumbed but, as Isabel Beck et al. describe, practicing using words adeptly and accurately is the key to mastery.  We learn words by using them and seeing them over and over in different settings that are rich and challenging.  So a key part of vocabulary instruction is to put students in situations where they apply their nascent knowledge of a word. If we could make one small change to super-charge vocabulary instruction across American classrooms it would be to take the time teachers spend having students guess at word meanings and replace it with time spent using those words after having been given a definition.

This would mean replacing something like, “Who can tell us what ‘destitute’ means?” with first giving students a definition for destitute—“completely without the things needed to survive”—and asking questions in which students have to apply the word and its definition: “Who can tell me a situation that might cause someone who is rich to become destitute?”  “Good, could a person ever be destitute even if they still had money?”  “How is being destitute different from being poor?” “What’s a good way to help someone who is destitute?”

In each of these cases, the teacher would insist that the students use the word “destitute” in their answer, as in, “If you were shipwrecked on an island all by yourself with a trunk of money, you’d still be destitute, even though you’d have lots of cash.”

This process of active practice makes problem-solving a key part of vocabulary instruction. It merely places the problem-solving after a basic definition has been learned instead of asking students to make tenuous guesses of a word’s meaning, which often results in a subpar definition and surface understanding of a word. This switch results in making the problem-solving more rich and rigorous than in many typical vocabulary lessons (represented in diagram 1) where teachers spend time asking students to guess at a word’s definition, sometimes from context, sometimes from previous experience: “What does destitute mean here? Has anyone heard that word before?”

The idea is that this process is more rigorous than “just” telling students what a word means because they are problem solving. In fact, however, what students are doing is not always problem-solving. More often, they are guessing and that involves relatively low rigor, potentially only a few members of class, and can result in the perpetuation of mistaken ideas which can be just as easily be the ones students remember. In the second diagram, the definition comes early, but instead of just writing it down, students are asked to use it over and over and to problem-solve with it by applying it in various new settings. Because students start with a base of knowledge, this really is problem-solving and is likely to be both more rigorous and to result in greater mastery of the word because it results in students using and saying the word multiple times.

Again, time spent guessing a word’s meaning is far less productive than time spent using and applying the word’s meaning in increasingly complex situations, but the former tends to dominate what teachers do with new words. For example, consider whether it is more rigorous to have students answer the question, “What do you think clandestine might mean?” or something like, “How is clandestine similar to and different from  surreptitious ?” or “How could camouflage help you do something in a clandestine manner?  Could you use blaring noise to help you do something in a clandestine manner?  How?”

Active Practice to Master Meaning

Mastering meaning involves students using a word to illustrate its degree of meaning with fluidity, expertise, and a depth of understanding.  There are four different ways you could ask students to practice mastering meaning and they should be done both verbally and in writing:

• When a word would (and would not) apply. “Would it be accurate to say that Aunt Alexandra is acting like a tyrant in this scene? Explain.”
• Combining multiple new words: “Could a tyrant ever be humble? Tell me why or why not.”   
• Narrate the story:  “Can a group ever exert tyranny over another group? How? Explain how a group of people in To Kill a Mockingbird make decisions that are tyrannical?”
• Define a change: “How would it sound different if Scout said that Aunt Alexandra’s opinion was “indirectly stated” rather than “obliquely observed”? How is it different to state that Aunt Alexandra is being tyrannical as opposed to say ‘bossy”?

Active Practice to Master Usage

Asking students to practice correctly avoids students misapplying words incorrectly. It’s much harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to build new ones, so it’s a good idea to have students practicing a variety of uses. There are two ways to do this:

• Change the form: “In its adjective form we would say ‘tyrannical.’ Would Atticus agree that Aunt Alexandra is tyrannical?
• Create a sentence with the word and/or other parameters: “Write a sentence in which you describe Aunt Alexandra looking ‘obliquely’ at Scout. Be sure to describe what Scout has done to earn such a glance.”

It’s quite a common practice to ask students to create sentences with new words, but you’ll notice in the example above, that adding additional parameters adds rigor and helps to ensure that students are using a word correctly.

 Three Keys to Active Practice

Practicing incorrectly can sometimes do more harm than not practicing at all. When practicing, be sure that students are accurately applying the word. It is not uncommon for an eager student to lose the meaning of a word in his/her earnest attempts to apply the word wherever the definition seems to fit. Whether it’s active practice to master meaning or usage, there are three important keys to getting the most out of it.  The first is that you want to ensure that students actually use the new word in their answers (you would be surprised by how often we forget this!). What happens instead of using a new word is that student will use a sentence that describes a word instead.  For example, if a teacher asks a student to describe a time when they are sentimental, the student might start the sentence without using the word, “when I look at photo albums of my baby brother when he was little” – while that may demonstrate the meaning and accurate use of the word, unless the teacher pauses the student to revise their answer and use the word in their sentence, then the student doesn’t actually get practice with the word.

The second key to successful active practice is that you want students’ answers to illustrate their understanding of the word. We often hear students say something like “I detest broccoli.” Without further explanation, it’s not clear if they truly know what it means to “detest.” In this case, we want to push students a bit further to expand their sentences to illustrate the meaning of the word, as in “I detest broccoli because it’s bitter and doesn’t taste good.” Avoid questions that are mundane or obvious in order to ensure that students have to rigorously apply a word and its definition.  The result of simple fill in the blank questions, or only asking questions that ask students to use the word to describe their own experiences can have two negative outcomes.  The degree of the word may not match the context (e.g. “I was irate when my sister got ice cream before I did.”) because they match a simple fill-in-the blank formula or they may generate a surface level of understanding about a word (e.g., “I adore my teddy bear.”) without understanding its deeper meanings or connotations. Provide prompts that support students precise use of the word (e.g., “Write a sentence about why a mouse would likely despise a snake.” versus “Write a sentence using despise.”) or in which they combine similar words with slightly different meanings (e.g., “Write a sentence in which you describe something you dislike and something you detest.  Use ‘despise’ and ‘detest’ in your answer and illustrate how their meanings are slightly different.”) Asking these rigorous application questions increases the quality of their practice as well as deepens their understanding of the word and its definition.

The final key is that we also want to ask students to use different forms of the word so that they are able to practice using a word flexibly and deeply, and to consistently correct inaccurate part of speech or tense in their answers so that they are practicing using the word in its correct forms.  Do not accept for example, “The pond was scarce of water.”  If we accept incorrect forms of new vocabulary words during practice then students will most assuredly make those mistakes beyond the classroom.  Following these three keys of active practice can support teachers in asking students to rigorously apply their burgeoning vocabulary, and they are useful in giving feedback to students on their practice as they use new words and apply their meanings in a variety of contexts.

3 Responses to “Active Practice: The Key to Vocabulary”

Obviously, beginning a vocabulary lesson by asking “Who knows what ___ means?” is not a good use of time. But I would argue that giving an example of the word in context and having the students infer the meaning offers some advantages over simply giving a definition. First, it’s more rigorous that simply listening to a given definition. I understand the idea that you want teachers to follow the definition with more rigorous activities, but the entire vocabulary lesson should be rigorous. Also, it’s more typical of what happens in real vocabulary acquisition. We learn most of our vocabulary from context. When students learn how to use context to help them understand a word’s meaning, this is a skill that will help them learn words beyond the relatively few that are explicitly taught in the classroom. There is a strong research base suggesting that teaching students to infer from context is more effective than simply giving definitions.

This brings me to a concern that I have with your books. I love them. I read them and recommend them to others. But you never make use of the research that’s out there. Everything is anecdotes. Your books are great, but they could be even better if you would back up your opinions with research.

I do appreciate and benefit when supporting research is cited.

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Speaking skills: Speaking matters

• 1 Speaking skills: Speaking matters
• 2 Speaking matters: Developing fluency
• 3 Speaking matters: Developing and dealing with accuracy
• 4 Speaking matters: Assessing speaking
• 5 Speaking matters: Personalization
• 6 Speaking matters: Problem-solving
• 7 Speaking matters: Role-play
• 8 Speaking matters: Pairwork

Speaking matters: Problem-solving

By Adrian Tennant

• No comments

This article looks at problem-solving activities and what they are like. It covers how to set them up, why it's good to use them, the disadvantages and what you should do after the activity.

Introduction

Students need a reason to speak in the classroom. Many speaking activities seem to have no aim other than to get students to talk to each other, but for what reason? By doing the activity what will they achieve? Some activities, like pairwork activities, try to create a purpose by creating an information gap - i.e. where one student has some of the information and another student the rest and, only by speaking to each other can they complete the task. However, this simple transference of information only replicates a small part of what speaking in real life is used for.

Role-plays are another favourite classroom activity designed to get students speaking, but these often focus on creating scenarios or situations where students practise functional language such as giving directions, asking for information, etc. Although this is realistic, it is still often on a level of one student having information that another student doesn't. In real life, we often speak about something when we both, or all, share a lot of the same information. This can take the form of a discussion or a debate where we have opinions, but it can also take the shape of a discussion based on having to solve a problem. In this article, we'll take a closer look at problem-solving speaking activities.

What are problem-solving activities like?

There are a number of types of problem solving activities. For the sake of simplicity I'll split them into three types:

1. The opinion problem-solving activity.

In this type of activity students are given information to discuss where there is not necessarily one right or wrong answer. This type of activity differs from a normal discussion in that there is a built-in problem within the information.

You and three friends rowed out to a small island in the middle of a lake. When you landed you forgot to tie the boat up properly and it has drifted away. Night is now approaching. It is 3km back to the shore, but one of your friends can't swim. You do not have any food with you and you don't know if anyone knows where you are. What do you do?

Students are then expected to discuss the problem and come up with a solution. To help students you can provide a set of ideas/options for them to choose from. You can also make the activity more complicated by giving each student a 'role card' with an extra piece of information on it (that might be a problem) i.e.

There is no wood on the island so you can't build a fire. At night the temperature drops to freezing .

2. The logical thinking problem-solving activity.

In this type of problem-solving activity there is usually one correct solution. To arrive at the solution the students need to discuss information they are given and logically work out what the solution is. There are two ways in which the information can be given, either split between a number of students so that they don't have the same information and they must share it, or where they all have the same information and simply have to discuss things together. In the later version a set of questions can often help students work out the answer. (See activity 2 in the 'Practical ideas' section below for a logical thinking activity).

3.The information gap problem-solving activity.

How does this differ from a normal information gap (i.e. a pairwork information gap where one student has information that the other student doesn't)? Well, the main difference is that in a normal information gap activity it is simply a matter of transferring the information, i.e. two students have a profile of a person. Student A knows the person's age and nationality, etc. Student B then asks 'How old is he?' and fills in the missing information they obtain in the correct space, etc. In a problem-solving information gap, getting the missing information is not the ultimate aim, but merely a stepping stone on the way to solving a problem.

Why use problem-solving activities?

Apart from the fact that these kinds of activities can be a lot of fun they are also very stimulating. They usually require students to communicate information to each other where the focus is on expressing ideas and opinions and not simply repeating phrases. In many ways, problem-solving activities replicate 'real' speaking in that people have a need to speak. Problem-solving activities can also be an effective way of practising language items that have been taught, i.e. both grammar and vocabulary. They are also a great way of developing students' cognitive abilities helping them to process language in a meaningful way.

Are there any disadvantages to problem-solving activities?

Yes, there are. One of the major problems is that stronger students often dominate the discussions, taking over and giving the less able students little opportunity to contribute. Often, this is due to the need for one person to organize and collate information and ideas. One way around this is to give certain students specific tasks, i.e. someone to 'chair' the discussion, someone to make sure everyone has a turn, etc.

Another disadvantage of this type of activity is that students may become frustrated when trying to solve the problem and, especially if they don't have the language skills in English, will switch to their L1. To avoid this it is important that you, the teacher, consider what language they are likely to need in order to complete the task and to pre-teach any necessary phrases, expressions or vocabulary you think they do not possess. Remember, using a problem-solving activity is not the main focus of your lesson/teaching but simply a way in providing students with a forum for using the language they have learnt.

How do you set up a problem-solving activity?

As with other speaking activities, how you set up the activity will often be the difference between a successful activity and one that doesn't work. The first thing to consider is whether the activity uses the language you want the students to practise. If not, then ask yourself why exactly you are using it. Then, it is important to look at the language that is needed and make sure that you pre-teach any new language before they start the activity. This will help the activity run smoothly with the focus being on solving the problem rather than working out the meaning of any new language. Finally, think about whether you want students to work alone to begin with and then discuss the problem with other students or whether you will start with pair or groupwork. Whenever you decide to use pair or groupwork think about who you get to work together so that there is a balance in each group.

What should I do after the activity?

Just as with roleplays, don't just move onto a different activity. If you move on immediately after the activity and don't at least discuss what happened, then students will often lose interest in problem-solving activities, or at least won't benefit to the full. There needs to be an obvious outcome and a rounding-up of the activity. Opening up the activity to a class discussion where you compare solutions is an obvious follow-up. It is also important that during the activity you note down any mistakes students made with the language and think about how you will tackle these either after the activity or in a subsequent lesson.

Some practical ideas

An opinion problem-solving activity

Here I am going to use the idea I mentioned earlier but give a few variations to show how it can be run in a number of different ways.

Variation 1

Put students in groups of 3-5 and give each group a copy (or copies) of the following handout:

Ask students to talk to each other and make a list of possible solutions. Ask them to also think about what problems they might face/encounter with each solution. i.e. If they stay on the island, where will they sleep and what will they eat? What if there is no food on the island? etc.

Variation 2

Give the students the same handout, but also give them the following options (either as part of the handout or written on the board).

• One of you swims to the shore to get help.
• Try and make a fire on the island to attract attention.
• Find somewhere to sleep for the night and then try and get off in the morning.
• Look for the boat and get one person to try and swim to it and bring it back.
• All swim back to the shore taking it in turns to help the person who can't swim.

Variation 3

Give the students the same handout, but also give each one a role card with extra information. i.e.

  A logical thinking problem-solving activity

A new teacher starts working at school. In her class there are a set of triplets, Ana, Bryan and Carl. Unfortunately, the teacher can't remember which one is which, but she has some notes about the three kids.

She knows that two of the triplets are boys and one is a girl.

Carl, one of the boys, is always calm and patient.

• One of the triplets likes playing football and he has a tattoo on his arm.

One of the triplets has red hair, one brown and one blonde.

• The triplet who doesn't get angry easily has short blonde hair.

The triplet with red hair has an earring and she likes to sing.

The triplet who has a tattoo gets angry easily.

Can she work out who is who?

Students should be able to work out the answer simply with the information provided, but, if you want to help them you could also give them a set of questions to answer. e.g.

• Should the teacher have known which triplet was Ana? Why?
• Which triplet likes to sing? How do you know?
• What colour is Ana's hair?
• What else do you know about Ana?
• What kind of person is Carl?
• Does he have a tattoo?
• How do you know?
• What colour is Carl's hair?
• Does Carl like football?
• Which triplet likes football?

These questions guide students through step-by-step, enabling them to work out the answer.

An information gap problem-solving activity

A simple example of this would be to use the same worksheet as above but cut the information about the triplets into strips, put students in small groups and give each student one or two strips. Tell students they have the information between them but that they must not show their information to the other students in their group.

A new teacher starts working at school. In her class there are a set of triplets, Ana, Bryan and Carl. Unfortunately, the teacher can’t remember which one is which, but she has some notes about the three kids. Can she work out who is who?

One of the triplets likes playing football and he has a tattoo on his arm

The triplet who doesn’t get angry easily has short blonde hair.

• British English

Speaking matters: Developing fluency

Speaking matters: developing and dealing with accuracy, speaking matters: assessing speaking, speaking matters: personalization, speaking matters: role-play.

Speaking matters: Pairwork

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Pronunciation skills with Adrian Underhill: Overcoming common pronunciation challenges

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Teaching Math Word Problem Key Words (Free Cheat Sheet)

Published: November 20, 2023

Contributor: Jeannette Tuionetoa

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Tackling word problems in math can be challenging for kids to learn. We called them story problems when I was in school. If your kids are learning math key words so they can solve word problems, they you’ll find these free cheat sheets and worksheets for word problem key words helpful. 

Math Word Problem Key Words

There is no doubt that mathematical operations using words are difficult for kids. They go from counting numbers to doing math equations with numbers.

Then all of a sudden… there are words, just words . All of a sudden algebraic expressions and mathematical operations are POOF – words.

The lack of numbers and shift in mindset can completely throw off a lot of students. If kids have difficulty with reading, then that is yet another struggle for kids as they try to learn basic problems in math.

Teaching students about challenging math keywords just got easier! Be sure to download our free math key words cheat sheet at the end of this post. 

Why do some kids struggle with word problems?

A key proponent in different operations in math is learning the key words that prompt kids to understand which operation skill they need to use to solve the problem.

This means that they should master regular math problems first and be able to read with comprehension. You will shortly find that if these two skills aren’t somewhat mastered first, then word problems will become an issue.

Many times math is a subject best taught in sequential order. If one step is missed, then the future steps falter. This is much like how it is when teaching word problems.

The best thing for your children is for them to first:

• Be able to read well.
• Understand math concepts and phrases.
• Know to not rush, but focus on math key words, identify relevant information, and understand the text.
• Get to know the keywords for math word problems

What are keywords for math word problems?

Key words in mathematical word operations are the words or phrases that will signal or show a student which type of math operation to choose in order to solve the math word problem.

The keywords for math word problems used in operations are a strategy that helps the math problem make sense and draw connections to how it can be answered.

Basically, when using key words, students must decipher whether they need to solve the math equation via addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

What are the common keywords for math word problems?

Thankfully, there are math key words that our children can learn that help them work through their word problems. They are prompts that point them in the right direction.

Just like a different language needs words translated for comprehension, students translate the words… into math .

Keywords for Math Word Problems

Learning these math keywords will help with problem solving:

Addition Math Key Words:

• increased by
• larger than
• in addition to
• how much in all

Subtraction Math Key Words:

• how many more
• how many less
• shorter than
• smaller than

Key Words for Multiplication Word Problems:

• multiplied by
• double/twice

Key Words used for Division Word Problems:

• equal group
• how many in each

You can print off a free math key words cheat sheet that has the above math key words for word problems and add it to your homeschool binder . Find the download link at the bottom of this post. 

How can we help kids learn keywords for solving numberless word problems?

Teach kids steps for solving word problems until it becomes a habit or they get comfortable with the steps. First, they can look for the important information and write those down. (Read the problem carefully). Next, kids need to define or find the variables in the math equation.

From the keywords, kids can now determine what math operation to use. Translate the words to math. Then, kids can solve the math equation. This is where the skills of solving numbered equations are important.

Finally, students have to put their answers in the form of a word sentence. NOTE: Many times kids think after solving the equation they are done. However, the key to making sure they understand that word problems need word answers.

Different Strategies to Familiarize Keywords in Word Operations

You can use some of these keywords for math word problems as vocabulary words in your homeschool.

Students can display subtraction, addition, multiplication, and multiplication handy reference posters on a bulletin board in your homeschool area. Students can also just list them on dry erase boards . These are perfect visual reminders for what keywords go with what math word problems.

Your students can also keep their keywords for math word problems with them as they study. They can place the list of keywords in a math folder or in an anchor chart – and then in their math folder.

Kids can keep the keyword poster sets in their math notebooks or keep them in a word problem journal .

Their strategy for learning word problem keywords all depends on how they best absorb information.

Students may do well using a combination of these methods. Either way, all of these different strategies can be used to get them comfortable in identifying the route to solve math word equations.

Math Word Problem Keywords Cheat Sheets & Teaching Aids:

We created a free pdf download Word Problem Key Words Cheat Sheet that you can find at the bottom of this post. It’s great to use as a reference for math word problems.

Word Problem Clue Words

Get a Clue Free Download – Check out these word problem clue word handouts and posters to help your students with word problems. There 5 pages in all that will be handy for your kids in trying to find the correct answer while using the correct operation.

Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Keywords

Subtraction Keywords/Addition Keywords – Until your kids memorize keywords and what they mean, this freebie can help. Grab these simple black and white printable signs. They will help kids look for keywords like larger numbers for subtraction word problems or addition keywords like in addition to . 

Story Problem Key Words

Words to Math – Keywords in math problems are essentially turning words into math. This graphic organizer printable is a quick reference for your students to use with numberless math word problems. Place them in a notebook chart or your homeschool classroom wall as a visual reminder.

Word Problem Key Words Poster

Key Word Posters for Math Problems – Grab these word problem keyword handy reference posters for subtraction, addition, division, and multiplication. Each poster has its specific theme and specific words to solve all problem types. Kids will enjoy having practiced with these math key words posters.

Word Problem Key Words Worksheets

Fun Key Word Sorting Activity – Your kids have now studied some keywords for math word problems helpful for problem solving in mathematical operations. Use this word problem sorting activity to test their knowledge in a fun engaging way. Add this fun activity to your test prep materials.

World Problems Worksheets with Key Words – These word problems worksheets use key phrases to help your students identify the phrases that will help them determine which math operation to use.

Word Problem Key Words for Math

Math word problems are probably the first opportunity students get to understand how math relates to real world situations. The applications can be relevant in their real life experiences like going to the market.

However, the benefit to word problems doesn’t stop there…

With word problems, students develop their higher-order thinking and critical thinking skills.

Different types of word problems guide your students to applying math various math concepts at the same time. They have to know basic number sense, basic algebra skills, and even geometry when they attempt multiplication word problems.

If we do it the right way, kids won’t see word problems as a dreadful experience in math. Understanding word problems is a learning curve and doesn’t come easily to kids.

Identify Learning Gaps

Another important aspect of word problems is that they tell a parent/teacher if a child needs help in areas like reading comprehension or math number operations skills. This type of word math is a great evaluation of your student’s thinking processes.

We can, however, help make it a better experience for them by teaching it the right way.

Free Math Key Words Cheat Sheet Instant Download

You won’t want to miss our free Word Problem Key Words Cheat Sheet PDF download for different ways kids see keywords in various types of problems in mathematics. This math tool is everything your student needs and the perfect resource to reference keywords in math operations.

Includes the keywords that will help your children solve and recognize word problems for:

• Subtraction
• Multiplication

Instant Download: Math Word Problems Keywords Cheat Sheet

Jeannette tuionetoa.

Jeannette is a wife, mother and homeschooling mom. She has been mightily, saved by grace and is grateful for God’s sovereignty throughout her life’s journey. She has a Bachelor in English Education and her MBA. Jeannette is bi-lingual and currently lives in the Tongan Islands of the South Pacific. She posts daily freebies for homeschoolers!

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