Steps to solve a shape problem
A word problem tells a short story with numbers. Use 4 steps: understand what it asks, plan what to do, solve it, and check the answer. Remember your shape facts first: a triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners, and a square has 4 sides and 4 corners.
Worked example
Ali draws 2 triangles. How many corners are there in all?
Understand: 1 triangle has 3 corners. Plan: add the corners. Solve: 3 + 3 = 6. Check: 2 × 3 = 6. Answer: 6 corners.
Another example
A square has 4 sides. Siti draws 3 squares. How many sides in all? We add: 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 sides. We can also multiply: 3 × 4 = 12. Both give the same answer, so we know it is correct.
Key idea
Total = number of shapes × sides (or corners) of one shape.
Remember
- Read the story carefully.
- Write the number sentence.
- Check your answer.