Many dyslexic students have trouble with math word problems because these problems require not only multi-stepped math operations, but also accurate translation of words into math operations.

General Math Tips for Solving Word Problems include:

1. Developing a Study Sheet of Common Words and Their Translations (see our Mislabeled Child Math chapter for more details) - for instance, addition (increased by, added to, sum), subtraction (decreased by, taken away, difference) etc.
2. Draw a Picture.
3. Circle Key Words
4. Find the Variables / Unknowns / Missing Information and Attach Units of Measure (gallons, inches, etc.)
5. Take a Big Picture - For Instance, Think of Amounts and Relationships more than Numbers
6. Use a Calculator or Math Facts Sheet for Number Crunching


When teaching, don't forget the benefit of allowing a child to solve a problem with a similarly correctly solved problem in view. Use colors to select out important words and numbers and rewrite the problem in a "number sentence" if necessary.

Watch free story problem videos at Math Playground (fractions, percentages, ratios, probability, geometry, averages, algebra)

More Visual examples for 2nd-6th Grade Word Problems