Do your elementary math students look at a word problem and immediately say “I don’t get it” or randomly add all the numbers in the problem because they saw the word “all” in the question. Continue reading to learn more about my favorite upper elementary word problem printable for tackling word problems.
First Reading of the Word Problem
First time reading the problem students create a fun title. It removes the stress of trying to solve it and helps with their comprehension.
Second Reading of the Word Problem
For the second reading, students find out what the question is asking them to solve for and circle or restate the question.
Third Reading of the Word Problem
For the third and final read, students figure out what the numbers represent and write notes about the problem.
Last Step for Solving Upper Elementary Math Problems
After reading the problem 3 times, students have a good understanding of the problem and can choose the best operation to answer the question.
Then students write their equation and solve using a strategy.
Finally they check the reasonableness of their answer by restating the question and writing the answer in a complete sentence.
How to Use the Free Printable
There are so many ways to use this upper elementary word problem printable in your classroom. My favorite way is to print it on bright paper and place it in students DIY dry erase boards. They reuse the same sheet over and over. Students can carry it with them to tutoring, small group, centers, and whole group lessons.
I also suggest printing off several to a sheet and keeping a stash in a basket at the back of the classroom. Students can grab a printable when they need it during a computer-based lesson or independent practice.
Remediation is another time to utilize this strategy and freebie. Break down a challenging word problem from an assessment with a small group or even the whole class. Then staple the word problem printable to the assessment before you send it home for parents to review it.
Download the Upper Elementary Word Problem Printable Below
You can find a copy of the free printable in my Free Resource Library or you can fill out the form below to access it.
Resources to Use with the Printable
The 3rd Grade Two-Step Word Problems Math Center Games and Multiplication and Division Word Problems Math Center Games are both great resources to use with this freebie.
Let me know in the comments below how you used this strategy in your classroom!
Sara
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