Solving data problems
A word problem gives us a chart and a question. We use 4 easy steps: understand, plan, solve, and check.
Key idea
1) Understand — read the chart and the question. 2) Plan — choose add, subtract, times or share. 3) Solve — do the working. 4) Check — is the answer sensible?
Worked word problem
Worked example
A bar chart shows the books read: Ali read 5, Mei read 8. How many more books did Mei read than Ali?
Plan: "how many more" means subtract. Solve: 8 − 5 = 3 books. Check: 5 + 3 = 8 ✓.
Remember
- "altogether" or "in all" → add.
- "how many more" → subtract.
- Always check your answer at the end.