Read the problem carefully. Note any numbers in the problem, written either numerically or in word form. Pay close attention to the question at the end of the problem.
Read the problem a second time to determine what math procedures you will use. Phrases such as "total," "together" and "sum" denote the use of addition. "Fewer than," "more than," or "difference" are clues that you should use subtraction to solve the problem. For a complete list of key words, see the Resources section.
Solve the problem on paper. Read the problem again to see that your answer makes sense. For example, if the problem calls for several items to be dispersed among a group of people, the correct answer is less than the original total number of items. If your answer does not make sense, read and work the problem again.
Draw a picture of the problem. If the problem states that someone is passing out thirty pieces of candy equally to five people, depict the problem by drawing five stick people and making marks to represent candy. If you make one mark for each person, then start at the first person again and make one mark per person, it will take 6 times to distribute all the candy. Following this logic, the answer is six.
Practice using math in everyday situations. At the grocery store, figure out how many 75 cent candy bars you can buy with $1.50. Work out how many miles per gallon your car gets. Determine how many pairs of shoes are in the pile of 56 total shoes. You can find numerous helpful web sites with math word problem explanations and practice tests.