Give your elementary students word problems that have a fun theme, such as an upcoming holiday, a relevant event, or featuring popular TV characters, current movies, or current elements of pop culture. When the topics and situations described in the word problem capture the students interest and attention, performing the exercise will be more enjoyable for them. You can even have your students help make up their own word problems based in their interests.
Word problems always describe something students can draw. Provide your students with colored pencils, pens and paper, and have them illustrate the word problem. For example, if a word problem describes adding or subtracting eggs from an Easter basket, have them draw before and after pictures of the basket to solve the problem. This will teach them a technique they can use on a smaller scale during tests or quizzes to help them visualize the word problem on paper.
Hand out practice worksheets for your students to work on together. Break up the class into groups of three or four students and assign five to seven word problems. Turn the practice time into a competition by setting a timer and having a prize ready. The team who correctly completes the most word problems in the allotted time receives the prize, such as no homework for a night.
Have your elementary students spend the length of a class or two in the computer lab. Show them various online websites where they can practice word problems. Many sites offer interactive word problem activities allowing students to practice word problem skills while having fun. Print out a list of links to websites such as Math Playground and Syvum that they can access and practice with at home.