Multiplication And Division Word Problems – If you visit a 3rd or 4th grade classroom during math, chances are they are working on multiplication and division. One of the things 3rd and 4th graders struggle with the most is applying multiplication and division to story problems. I also believe that teaching multiplication and division in the context of story problems can energize my students.
What are the 3rd and 4th grade Common Core standards for multiplication and division? Check them out:
Multiplication And Division Word Problems
See that little 1 at the end? This refers to a footnote telling you to check Table 2 in the glossary. Many 3rd and 4th grade teachers do not yet have the opportunity to do this. This can be difficult to find, especially if you are accessing the standard online.
Free} Multiplying Decimals Word Problems Set
See Table 2 in Common Key Glossary. Here are 9 question types for 3rd and 4th graders under Common Core. Please note that Grade 3 must master the first two lines of question type and Grade 4 will be responsible for all 9 questions.
When I first looked at this table, I realized that most of the questions in my course, the questions I write or ask my students, and most of the questions written by my students represent just four of these types of questions. I immediately printed this chart and posted it on the walls of every classroom where I worked with 3rd and 4th graders. It was challenging at first. I had to choose numbers that were more familiar or easier to see in relation to each other in order to access the problems. Now that I am better aware of the different types of issues, I can ensure that they are all reflected in my curriculum and my daily teaching practice.
Comparison questions (row 3) are not assessed until 4th grade, but we ensured that 3rd graders were exposed to such questions. In particular, I helped these children access these problems by starting with friendly numbers for a range of familiar facts I don’t want you to get into new problems
If you also teach multi-digit addition and subtraction, you may want to read about 12 different types of questions in addition to familiar addition and subtraction with your students.
Multiplication/division Choice Board
I am more aware of these different types of problems, so I spent considerable time on them in group-wide instruction and partner work sessions in grades 3 and 4 last week. Students I wanted to see what I could do on my own. I created a series of task cards to use with my 3rd and 4th grade students.
I spread the cards around the gym. Each child received a clipboard, pencil and record sheet. They then worked from card to card and recorded their answers on a recording sheet. It was great to see how hard they worked and I was very impressed with their work.
A student is working on card 17. Notice the * next to the card number. I’ve marked each card with a small * with comparable problems. This helped third graders remember which cards they were assessed on and which cards they were exposed to. When I did this with my 3rd graders, there were some struggling kids who had a harder time with these cards. Some students were asked to do something without *.
Some students express the “division” problem as a division formula, while others set it up as a missing factor problem. We talked about this for a few minutes in the wrap-up discussion. I have submitted several papers with different equations but equivalent answers and have debated a lot about the relationship between multiplication and division.
The Dreaded Math Word Problem: Get Organized To Solve The Problem!
When the students finished, I asked them to “talk math” with another student who had finished the same way. If no agreement can be reached, ask an adult for help. It works!
When kids finish their math stories, I like to have some blank assignment cards for those who finish early to write their own problems. This gives them another measure of understanding and gives other children who have finished a chance to solve more problems. I love that speed is a great way for kids to challenge each other. It also provides children who need more time to complete problem sets without being interrupted by faster peers.
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What types of questions do students see most often? Are there any question types (or some question types) that students should practice more? Reply in the comments below!