Math Story Problems

To solve a math story, you must be a detective! Detectives look for clue words. When you see words like altogether, in all, or total, the story is asking you to add ($+$). This means you are putting groups together. If you see words like left, away, or fewer, the story is asking you to subtract ($-$). This means you are taking something away from a group. Finding these clues is the first step to solving the mystery!

Once you find the clues, you can write a math sentence (also called an equation). A math sentence uses numbers and symbols to tell the story quickly. For example, if a story says 'Leo had $10$ crayons and lost $4$,' your math sentence starts with the big number $10$. Since he lost them, we use the minus sign ($-$). The sentence looks like this: $10 - 4 = 6$. Always make sure your answer makes sense—if you lose things, your answer should be smaller than what you started with!

Sometimes, stories have more than two numbers! Don't worry, the rules are the same. You can add or subtract three numbers by going from left to right. If you have $3$ red apples, $2$ green apples, and $4$ yellow apples, you just add them all up: $3 + 2 + 4$. You can add the first two ($3 + 2 = 5$) and then add the last one ($5 + 4 = 9$). Whether you are adding or subtracting, just take it one step at a time!