Read the problem and determine the important information that the problem contains. Highlight or circle the numbers, items and any words that lead you to select the appropriate strategy. For example, how many in all may mean to add or multiply. How many more or less may lead to subtraction. To equally distribute means to divide. Don't leave out numbers that may be in word form. For measurement problems, identify the units of measurement and determine if conversions are required.
Draw a visual representation of the problem. Examples include charts, geometric shapes, graphs, and number patterns. For story problems, draw the objects that may be described, such as objects in a container, birds on a tree branch, pencils in a box, or anything that helps to solve the problem. Look for key words such as a number of objects in "each" container, indicating that the total quantity is found by multiplication.
Break the problem into steps that must be solved in a specific order. Identify the answer from the first part that may lead to setting up the next step of the problem. Check any computation steps by using a calculator, if allowed, before starting the next step. Check for problems that may include words that change the computation such as buying four of one object, or a round trip indicating that the distance should be doubled.
Show all of the work completed that helped to solve the problem. Include all computations and label the answers to each step. Read what the actual question is, and add words to numerical answers. For example, if the question asked "how many books in all?", add the word "books" to the number of books. Use appropriate measurement units for answers such as feet, miles, meters, etc. For geometric figures, charts and graphs, add appropriate labels, measurements and titles. Use neat handwriting that can be clearly understood. If asked to explain your strategies, provide a clear explanation.