Read the entire word problem, paying close attention to words such as "together," "result," "less" and other indicators of the relationship between the quantities mentioned. These words, along with commonly known math terms, will indicate what action needs to be taken to write the equation and solve the problem.
Write down the facts on a scratch sheet of paper to simplify what the word problem says. For example, if the word problem states "Billy has 13 more cookies than Susie," you can determine that you need to add 13 to the number of cookies Susie has to equal the number of cookies Billy has. Your scratch paper would read "Susie + 13 = Billy" or "Billy -13 = Susie."
Read other details included in the word problem that would indicate a total amount, or a second number to include. For example, the word problem may indicate Billy had 22 cookies.
Record the number under your first note on the scratch paper. In this case, the 22 would go directly under Billy's name and would look read: "Susie + 13 = 22" or "22 -13 = Susie."
Substitute a variable, such as X, for the number you need to find. In this case, you could assign X for Susie and then the equation will be "X +13 = 22" or "22 -- 13 = X"
Reread the problem to ensure that equation you have written matches the wording in the word problem. The equation is ready to solve.