This document provides strategies and sample worksheets for teaching problem solving in mathematics to grades 2-5. It discusses common errors students make in solving word problems and strategies to address them, including critical reading, questioning, visualization, and guided practice. Sample worksheets demonstrate using these strategies through multi-step word problems involving operations on measurements in different units. Hints help students understand which operation and conversion rule to apply at each step. The goal is to build students' ability to set up and solve real-world math problems systematically.

1. Problem Solving Strategies
in
Mathematics
(With Sample Worksheets)
(Grades2-5)

2. Kavita Grover Page 2
Types of Errors Commonly Made By Students in Solving Statement
Problems/Sums
1) Reading -Do not recognize key words or symbols.
2) Comprehension -Can read the problems well but cannot comprehend the
meaning of the words, symbols or question.
3) Transformation-Cannot transform sentences into mathematical forms.
4) Processing skills-Can choose an appropriate operation but cannot complete
the operation accurately.
5) Encoding ability -Can perform the correct operations but writes the answer
incorrectly.
6) Careless mistakes -Mistakes made which can be caught automatically upon
reviewing your work.
Strategies used are :
a) Critical reading of the problem sum
b) Question Answer Relationship (QAR)
c) Guided/scaffolded worksheet/hint cards
d) Visualization

3. Kavita Grover Page 3
A.Question Answer Relationship (QAR)
Objective:
 Reading and writing in math
 How to critically read a problem sum and find the key word to identify
the operation.
Problem sum:
1) There are 386 mangoes on a tree. One day during
a storm, 124 mangoes fell down. How many
mangoes are left on the tree?
What type of tree was it?
What was growing on it?
How many mangoes were growing
on it?
What happened on day?
What happens during a storm?
So, what happened to the mangoes?
How many mangoes fell down?
After the storm will the number of
mangoes on the tree be less or more?
Which word in the problem statement
gave you this hint?
So what operation will you perform?
What sign will you use?
What number will you write first?
Why will you write that number first?
What number will you write below
it?
Why will you write it below the first
number?
Do the sum.
Draw a picture also.

4. Kavita Grover Page 4
How to write a problem statement
a)What statement will you write first? ________________________________
b) What is the second statement? ___________________________________
c)What is the third statement? ________________________________
d) What will be your final statement? ________________________
2)A tank contained 100 l 750 ml of
water.40 l 630 ml was used for
household work. Find the quantity of
water left in the tank?
Instructions: Write all the questions and
answers will you ask yourself to solve
the problem. Then show the calculations.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. Kavita Grover Page 5
B.Visualization
1) Complete the number line of the metric system. Show the relationship
between the units by putting the arrow signs and the correct
multiplication/division symbol.
Conversion Rule
Big to small-Multiplication: B>S>M
Small to Big-Division: S>B>D

6. Kavita Grover Page 6
2) Mamta’s bag weighed 3kg 750g and Sushma’s bag weighed 2kg 440g.
Find the weight of both the bags together.
What is given in the question?
____________________________________
What do you have to do?
____________________________________
What operation will you perform?
____________________________________
In what units is the measurement?
____________________________________
What is the relationship of the units?
____________________________________
Keeping the decimal in mind how will you write 3kg 750g?
____________________________________
Can you depict the problem as a drawing?
____________________________________
Perform the calculation.

7. Kavita Grover Page 7
3) John has a pet spider and a pet rabbit. The spider is 10 mm long and the
rabbit is 35 cm long. How much longer is the rabbit than the spider?
Draw and solve the problem. Write the correct statements and solve the
problem.

8. Kavita Grover Page 8
4) There are 8 kg 250g of apples in a carton.5 kg 825 g
of the apples were rotten.
What is the weight of the good apples?
Instructions: Write questions and answers will you ask
yourself to solve the problem. You can also draw a
diagram for help. Then show the calculations.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

9. Kavita Grover Page 9
C.Guided/ scaffolded worksheet
Hint cards for doing the sums.
1. Problem Sum:
Problem What
do you
have to
do?
What
word
gave the
hint?
What
operations
do you
have to
do?
What is the
conversion
rule?
Do the calculation What
unit
will
you
write?
Express
18 km as
meters
Change
km to
m
Express,
km, m
I have to
convert
km into m
B>S>M
1 km
=1000m
multiplication
1 km =1000m
8 km =8x1000
=8000 m
M
Problem What
do you
have to
do?
What
word
gave the
hint?
What
operations
do you have
to do?
What is the
conversion rule?
Do the calculation What
unit
will I
write?
Express
18 km as
meters
Change
km to
m
Express,
km, m
a) I have to
convert
km into
m
B>S>M
1 km =1000m
multiplication
1 km =1000m
8 km =8x1000 =8000 m
m
Express
as meters.
b) 62 62km 305
m
Change
km to
m
Express,
km, m
a) I have to
convert
km into
m
b) Add the
meters
already
given in
the
question
B>S>M
multiplication
1 km =1000m
Addition
a) 1 km =1000m
62 km =62 x 1000
=62,000 m
b) 62,000
+ 305
62,305 m
m

10. Kavita Grover Page 10
Change
2m 5dm
6cm into
cm
Change
m, dm
into cm
Change
m, dm,
cm
a) I have to
convert
m into
dm
b) Add the
dm to the
dm
already
in the
question
c) Change
the dm
into cm
d) Add the
cm I got
to cm in
the
question
B>S>M
a) Multiplication
b) Addition
c) Multiplication
d) Addition
1m =10 dm
2m= 20dm
20dm +5 dm =25 dm
1 dm =10cm
25dm =25 x10= 250 cm
250cm + 6cm = 256 cm
cm

11. Kavita Grover Page 11
Express
as
decimal
What do
you have to
do?
What
rule will
you
apply?
What
operation/s
will you do?
With
what
will you
divide?
How
many
jumps?
How many
places will the
decimal
move?
Perform
the
operation
What
unit will
you
write
A. 720
mm in
cm
Convert
smaller
unit to
larger
SBD Divide 10 One place
to the left
1 place to the
left.
720 ÷ 10=
72 cm
cm
B. 861 cl
in l
C. 2541
mm in
m
D. 3205 g
in kg
E. 20cm
8mm in
cm
Conversion Rule
Big to small-Multiplication: B>S>M
Small to Big-Division: S>B>D

12. Kavita Grover Page 12