Word problems are a fantastic challenge for our brains! We need to read the question below very carefully to understand what is being asked of us.
Take a look at the following example:
Some children weigh fruit for a science experiment.
The apple weighs more than the pear.
The orange weighs less than the apple, but more than the pear.
Which is the lightest fruit?
To work out the answer, we can arrange the fruit in order of size:
Weight | Fruit |
apple | heaviest |
orange | in the middle |
pear | lightest |
The pear is the lightest because it weighs less than both the apple and orange.
Let’s try another. Read the words below carefully:
Jack and Miranda have three children.
Daisy is 3 years older than Sally.
Sally is 1 year older than Fred.
Which child is the youngest?
Fred must be the youngest as both Sally and Daisy are older than him!
Pssst!! Here's a handy hint to help you reach superstar status: Write down the children's names on paper in order, as you read each fact. Then use this to find the answer to the question. |
In this activity, you will need to be a word-problem wizard and solve word problems with a wave of your wand!
Let’s get started!