For many students, math itself isn’t daunting—it’s the words. Word problems add an extra layer of complexity, requiring students to translate language into equations before they even start solving. This can be frustrating, especially for students who are confident in their calculations but struggle to understand what the question is asking in the first place.

So, what makes word problems tricky?

1. Too Much Information at Once.
Unlike straightforward equations, word problems present information in a non-linear way, which can be overwhelming.

2. Ambiguous wording.
Some students trip up on the phrasing of the problem rather than the math itself.

3. Lack of a Strategy
Many students dive straight into calculations without taking the time to analyse what’s being asked.

How can we get better at word problems, then? To put it simply, working out!

1.Breaking it down step by step: Pause before jumping to your calculator. Read the question, and then try and reword it so it makes sense to your brain. Everyone’s approach will be different!

2. Look out for specific language: ‘total’ means addition, ‘difference’ means subtraction. Being able to recognise this immediately will help you being to scaffold the equation!

3. Draw a diagram! It goes without saying that if you’re doing a real-world trig question, drawing a diagram makes your life INFINTELY easier!!!

4. Finally, practise! We only get better through time and hard work.

Sophie McGrath