EASY AS PIE: 8 WAYS TO TACKLE WORD PROBLEMS, HIGH SCHOOL Mathematicians often say you can understand problems only by solving them not by pondering them. However, even the sight of a math textbook makes some teenagers nervous. The key to understanding word problems, like other math operations, is practice. “Parents’ involvement with learning math is just as important as their involvement with learning to read,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “You frequently hear people making light that they are not good at math. The message we are giving to our children is that we don’t need to know math to be an adult.” Bavaria says parents need to motivate and encourage their children when it comes to practicing math skills. And most important, be a good role model. Here are eight ways you can help your teenagers start solving and stop struggling. Make a list of various math terms and phrases used in word problems. The key to solving word problems is understanding the vocabulary of mathematics. For instance, word problems may use the phrases “increased by” or “total of” when referring to simple addition. Once teenagers are familiar with such terminology, it becomes easier to decipher word problems. Read and then re-read word problems. Encourage your teenager to read problems more than once. This can help them understand the question and identify the parts they are struggling to grasp. Make a list of things you know and things you need to find out. This approach will help your teenager identify the tools she’ll need to solve the problem and prevent her from getting distracted by extra information. Draw a diagram or form an equation. Once a teen understands the question, this is the next step. Not only will a picture help him visualize word problems, but pictures are another great problem-solving tool. If your teen forms an equation, he can apply familiar mathematical rules and start solving. “Some children are visual learners,” Bavaria says. “Having a picture, diagram, chart or graph can really help them to have a visual cue when solving the problem.” Write a problem in your own words. Teens can go one step further and re-write word problems. Once the language in a word problem is simplified, it is easier to approach. Work step-by-step. If your child does one thing at a time, she won’t get overwhelmed quickly. Working step-by-step also allows teens to check their answers as they work. “Taking a big task and breaking it up into smaller tasks encourages success,” Bavaria says. “Instead of seeing an enormous project, she sees small, manageable tasks.” Use familiar equations. In several word problems you can plug the information into a common equation, such as: Distance = Rate x Time. Encourage your teenager to make use of the various math skills he has accumulated. Make up your own questions. When a child writes a word problem herself, she will get a better understanding of how to solve problems. By Payal Uttum High School Worksheet 1. Hannah’s aunt is 45. She is 15 years older than twice Hannah's age. How old is Hannah? 2. A train travels from Chicago to Boston at the rate of 40 mph and then returns from Boston to Chicago at the rate of 60 mph. What is the average rate of the round trip? 3. Millan and Torry race two toy trains around a circular track. The trains move in the same direction and they meet every 120 seconds. If Millan and Torry’s toy trains move in opposite directions, at constant rates, they meet every 30 seconds. If the track is 1800 m long, what is the speed of each toy train? 4. A dress and a matching scarf cost $100. The dress is worth $90 more than the scarf. How much is the scarf worth? 5. Omar is 10 years older than Nina. Next year he will be twice as old as Nina. How old are they now? 6. You buy some candy that costs 15 cents a piece and some gumballs that cost 2 cents each. You pay $1.56 for all the treats. If there are 10 more 2-cent gumballs than 15-cent candies, how many of each kind did you buy? 7. An equilateral triangle with each side = p mm is inscribed in a circle. Find the radius r of the circle. 8. If Meena runs outside to play 6 times a day and Lisa runs outside to play 7 times a day, how many days would it take for them together to run outside 39 times? 9. If the inner diameter of a straw is 3.13 mm and the outer diameter of a straw is 4.25 mm. What is the thickness of the plastic in millimeters? 10. A cone rests on top of a cylinder. The cylinder has a diameter of 6m and a height of 11m. The cone has a height of 5m. What is the total volume of the shape? Answers 1. 15-years-old 2. 50 mph 3. 81 km/hr and 135 km/hr 4. $5 5. Omar is 19 and Nina is 9 6. 18 gumballs and 8 candies 7. r= p/ √3 = p √3/3 8. 3 9. 1.12 millimeters 10. 357.96m3