My Child Can Calculate But Can't Understand Word Problems: It Wasn't a Math Problem
My son can do 24-8 instantly but freezes at 'Lan has 24 candies and gives 8 to Hoa.' I thought he was bad at math. Turns out, the issue was something else entirely.
'Mom, I don't know how to do this one.' My son handed me his homework. I read: 'Lan has 24 candies. She gives 8 to Hoa. How many does Lan have left?' So easy! I asked him: 'What's 24 minus 8?' He answered immediately: '16.' So why couldn't he solve the word problem? That question led me down a path that completely changed how I understood my son's struggles.
The Problem Wasn't Math
My son could do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division quickly. Give him a calculation, done. But give him the same problem in words, and he'd freeze.
I watched him carefully one evening. He read the word problem, then just... stared. When I asked what operation he needed, he said, 'I don't know.' He genuinely didn't understand what the problem was asking.
The issue wasn't his math ability. It was reading comprehension. He could calculate anything—but he couldn't decode what calculation was needed from the words.
Why Word Problems Are Actually Reading Problems
Word problems require multiple skills working together:
- •Reading fluency: Decoding the words themselves
- •Vocabulary understanding: Knowing what each word means
- •Comprehension: Understanding the situation described
- •Translation: Converting the story into a math operation
- •Calculation: Actually doing the math
- •Verification: Checking if the answer makes sense
My son was stuck at step 4. He could read, understand individual words, and calculate. But translating a story into an operation was a completely different skill.
Signs Your Child Has This Issue
- •Does calculations quickly but struggles with word problems
- •Says 'I don't understand' or 'I don't know what to do'
- •Randomly picks operations (adds when should subtract)
- •Can solve when you rephrase the problem differently
- •Avoids word problems but doesn't avoid calculation practice
- •Does better with pictures or diagrams than text
The 'Keyword' Approach: Why It Fails
Many parents teach keyword strategies: 'gives away means subtract,' 'altogether means add.' I tried this. It backfired.
Why? Because keywords don't always indicate the right operation:
- •'Tom has 5 more than Sam' → could be addition OR subtraction depending on the question
- •'How many left?' → usually subtraction, but not always
- •'Each' → could indicate multiplication, division, or neither
Keywords teach pattern matching, not comprehension. They break down on slightly unusual problems.
What Actually Worked: The Visualization Approach
Step 1: Draw It Out
Before any math, I asked my son to draw what was happening in the problem. Not numbers—the actual situation. Lan with candies. Giving some to Hoa.
Drawing forced him to visualize, which revealed whether he understood the story.
Step 2: Retell in Own Words
'Tell me what's happening without looking at the paper.' If he couldn't retell it, he hadn't understood it. We'd re-read together, piece by piece.
Step 3: Identify What's Changing
I taught him to ask: 'Is the amount getting bigger or smaller?' This simple question often reveals the operation without memorizing keywords.
Step 4: Numbers Last
Only after steps 1-3 did we look at actual numbers. By then, he usually knew what to do.
Practice Strategies That Helped
Numberless Word Problems
I'd give problems without numbers: 'Lan has some candies. She gives some to Hoa. Does Lan have more or fewer now?' This isolated the comprehension skill from calculation.
Create Your Own Problems
I'd give him numbers (24 - 8 = 16) and ask him to make up a story that fits. Creating problems requires understanding them—powerful practice.
Real-Life Problems
'You have $10. That toy costs $7. Do you have enough? How much change?' Real situations made abstract problems concrete and meaningful.
Read Aloud Together
I read word problems aloud while he followed along. Hearing the rhythm of language helped him parse the meaning better than silent reading.
The Reading Connection
Here's what surprised me: improving his general reading comprehension improved his word problem ability. We:
- •Read more books together, discussing what happened
- •Practiced summarizing stories in his own words
- •Worked on vocabulary in context
- •Did 'inference' exercises (what does this probably mean?)
These 'reading' activities directly helped his 'math' word problems.
After 3 months of focusing on comprehension rather than calculation, my son went from dreading word problems to approaching them confidently. He now reads carefully, visualizes, then solves. His calculation skill was never the issue—his reading strategy was.
When to Suspect Deeper Issues
Sometimes word problem struggles indicate underlying challenges:
- •Dyslexia: Difficulty decoding text affects word problems
- •Language processing issues: Trouble understanding spoken/written language
- •Working memory limitations: Can't hold all problem parts in mind
- •Attention issues: Missing key details while reading
If strategies aren't helping after consistent practice, consider evaluation.
A Message to Parents
If your child calculates well but struggles with word problems, don't assume they're 'bad at math.' They might have excellent math ability hidden behind a reading comprehension barrier.
This is fixable. With the right approach—visualization, comprehension practice, real-world application—most children can bridge the gap between calculation ability and word problem success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I avoid word problems until my child reads better?
No—work on both simultaneously. Use verbal word problems (you read aloud), picture-based problems, and real-life situations while also building reading skills. Avoiding word problems delays developing this crucial translation skill.
My child's teacher uses keyword strategies. Should I contradict this?
Don't contradict, but supplement. Keywords can be useful starting points, but add visualization and retelling at home. Eventually, true comprehension will replace keyword reliance.
How long until I see improvement?
With consistent daily practice (10-15 minutes), most children show noticeable improvement in 4-8 weeks. But building strong comprehension is a long-term process—keep going even after initial gains.
Build your child's calculation fluency so they can focus mental energy on understanding word problems. Sorokid makes arithmetic automatic through engaging practice, letting comprehension skills shine.
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