Word problems

[Sasharowan]

We use MUS and my oldest still gets confused sometimes on which operation to use on word problems. Is there a good supplement for extra word problem instruction?

[Kate in Arabia]

We use Singapore's Challenging Word Problems. They have them for each level, this is the link for level 2:

 

http://www.singaporemath.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PMCWPUS2&Show=TechSpecs

 

How I have approached word problems is as a team effort. Ds and I have always gone through them together, sometimes he reads them out and I write and sometimes I read and he writes.. and over time, he has gotten to where he does most of them on his own and calls me if he's stumped.

 

I think it helped for him to have someone to talk through it with him; and I will say that it was a long time before he was confident doing them on his own, like months if not a year or more. I didn't stress about it, and he didn't, I tried to keep it like a puzzle we were working on together, kwim?

 

I will also say that math is not my strongest subject, so for the more challenging problems it really is me trying to work it out with him, not just guiding him to what I already know is correct.

 

hth!

[Sunshine State Sue]

We supplemented with Singapore's CWP for many years. They are challenging! Kate has a great idea about working them out together. Math is a strong subject here, so I hesitated to recommend them, but working them out together is a great idea. Ds called the books "evil". :lol:

[Sasharowan]

Thanks to both of you. I'll look for them.