Word Problems and Problem-Solving Strategies Flashcards

Grade 4 · Math · Flashcards

Key strategies and vocabulary for solving word problems.

Flashcards

UPSC: Understand, Plan, Solve, Check — the 4 steps to solve word problems.
Addition key words: total, sum, in all, combined, together, more, increased by
Subtraction key words: difference, fewer, left, remain, less than, how many more, decreased by
Multiplication key words: each, times, twice, product, groups of, every, per (groups)
Division key words: share equally, split, each gets, quotient, per, how many groups, divided by
Multi-step problem: Requires 2+ operations. Solve step by step, using each answer in the next step.
Reasonableness check: After solving, ask: does this answer make sense in real life?
Estimate first: Round numbers and multiply/add roughly to predict the ballpark of your answer.
Draw a model: Use a bar model, diagram, or table to visualize the structure of the problem.
Working backwards: Start from the given result and reverse the operations to find the unknown.
'Product' means...: The result of multiplication.
'Quotient' means...: The result of division.