Word problems — for parents
By Year 5 your child has the arithmetic — multiplication tables, column methods, fractions of quantities, and operations on decimals. The leap this year is in reading and structuring the problem before any arithmetic happens.
What your child should master by year-end
- Read a 2-3 step word problem and find the question being asked.
- Identify all the numbers in the problem, with their units.
- Decide the operations and their order, often using brackets to capture intent.
- Compute the answer with one calculation chain (or several labelled steps).
- Write the answer in a complete sentence with the correct unit.
Common mistakes
Computing before reading
The single biggest issue. Children see numbers and immediately operate on them — usually adding everything together, or applying the most recent operation they've been taught.
Help: insist on reading the whole problem twice before any number gets written. Ask "what's the question?" before "what's the calculation?".Losing track of units
A "3" in a word problem might be 3 trays, 3 boxes, 3 chairs — and the arithmetic differs.
Help: have your child write each number with a one-word label. "3 trays" not "3". When two numbers are added or subtracted, the units must match.Picking the wrong operation
"Sam shares 24 sweets equally among 6 friends." Some children multiply (24 × 6 = 144). The word "shares" is a strong signal for division.
Help: practise spotting signal words: "of/each/per" → ×; "in total/altogether" → + or ×; "left/remaining" → −; "shared/each gets" → ÷.Wrong order in multi-step problems
"A bus has 42 seats. 8 buses, with 12 seats empty each. How many children?"
Wrong: 42 − 12 = 30, then 30 × 8 = 240. (Right!)
Or: 42 × 8 − 12 = 324. (Wrong — that subtracts only 12 chairs from 8 buses combined.)
Help: have the child explain each step in words before computing. "First I find filled seats per bus. Then I multiply by 8 buses."Stopping at the intermediate answer
"Books: 12 boxes of 40 = 480. 150 sold."
A child might write "480" and stop, forgetting the question was "how many left". Always reread the question after the last computation.
Habits to teach
Underline the question
Literally underline what's being asked. It's a tiny act that prevents the most common mistake.
Write expressions, not just numbers
`12 × 40 − 150` is better than scattered arithmetic. The single expression captures the plan, and order of operations does the rest.
Estimate before computing
"Roughly 10 × 40 minus 150 = 250." If the final answer is 4500, something's off.
Check the units in the answer
"330 books" or "26 m" — not just "330". A complete answer is a number with a unit and a sentence.
Things to practise at home
Real receipts
When you do groceries, give your child the receipt. "We bought 6 things. How much did we spend on the cheapest 3?" Word problems hide in everyday paperwork.
Recipe scaling
A recipe makes 4 portions. You're cooking for 6. How much of each ingredient? A real two-step problem (1 portion, then 6).
Train timetables
"The 9:15 train takes 1 hour 25 minutes. When does it arrive? If I miss it and take the next one at 9:45, how much later do I arrive?" Time arithmetic with mixed units is a great Year-5 challenge.
Compute mentally first, then check
For 12 × 40, ask the child to do it mentally before writing anything. If they get stuck, then allow paper. Building mental confidence reduces fear of word problems.