Word problems on adding

Find the question hidden in the story

“Five children were playing in the playground. Three more came. How many children are in the playground now?”

That is a word problem. A question dressed up as a story. The numbers are not sitting nicely next to each other with a sign — you have to find them in the story yourself.

Word problems are the most important thing in all of maths. In life nobody dictates “five plus three” to you. Life tells stories: this cost that much, that much more came, how much is that together?

Good news: you already know how to count. A word problem does not want anything new from you — only to find the numbers in the story and the right sign. It is detective work. Read carefully, look for clues, do not get caught out. A detective with a pencil, that is you today.

Today we hunt adding problems. They give themselves away with words like: came, more arrived, got, bought more, together, in all. When something is added in the story, it smells of plus.

Filip reads a problem: “Tereza has 12 stickers. From grandma she got 6 more…” and he shouts at once: “Eighteen!” But the problem goes on: “…How many stickers does she need to reach twenty?” Filip goes red. The answer is not 18, but 2. “Read the whole problem, then count,” Tereza laughs. From then on Filip has a three-step rule: read twice, write the question, answer in a sentence. On the next problem he scores: he reads, writes 7 + 8 = 15, answers: “There are 15 apples in the basket.” Tereza stamps a star on his paper. “Detective Filip, case closed.” From then on he reads every problem twice.

Three steps of every word problem

Step 1: Read and understand. Read the problem twice. Then answer three questions: What is in the story? (5 children.) What happened? (3 came.) What are they asking? (How many are there now?)

Step 2: Write the question. Translate the story into numbers. Something was added → plus: 5 + 3 = 8.

Step 3: Answer in a full sentence. Put the result back in the story: “There are 8 children in the playground now.” The answer 8 without a sentence is half the work — they asked about children, not about a number.

How do you spot plus? Adding: came, got, bought, found, flew in. And joining: together, in all, both. Two bags of sweets — how many together? Plus.

Draw it. If you do not understand the problem, draw circles: five circles, draw three more, count them all. A picture is a bridge between the story and the question.

Check the sense. Did you get more than there was at the start? With adding you must! If there were fewer children after more arrived than at the start, there is a mistake somewhere.

14 people were riding in a bus. At a stop 5 got on. How many people are riding now?

What is: 14 people. What happened: 5 got on — more were added, plus. They ask: how many now.

Question: 14 + 5 = 19.

I count: the ten to the side, 4 + 5 = 9, with the ten 19.

Answer in a sentence: 19 people are riding in the bus now.

Sense check: 19 is more than 14. People were added, it matches.

Ema has 23 Kč. For vacuuming she got 20 Kč. How much does she have in all?

What is: 23 Kč. What happened: she got 20 — more was added. They ask: how much in all. The word “in all” shouts plus.

Question: 23 + 20 = ?

I add a whole ten note… actually two tens: 23 + 20 = 43.

Answer: Ema has 43 Kč in all.

Check: 43 > 23. More was added. It matches.

Jonáš found 8 chestnuts, Sofie 7. How many do they have together?

Here nothing was added over time — but we join two piles. “Together” = plus.

Question: 8 + 7 = ?

Through ten: 8 + 2 = 10, 5 left, so 15.

Answer: Together they have 15 chestnuts.

Sense check: 15 is more than each pile on its own. With joining it has to be that way.

Practice: now you do it 🎲

Now try it for real. You will see all the questions at once, like on paper. 开始 with ten. If it goes well, add more.

Practise adding to 100 — so you have a solid base for the problems.

Practise the questions

On paper

Paper and a pencil. Solve each problem in three steps: read, write, answer in a sentence.

1. Solve: 16 tulips were blooming in a bed. 8 more bloomed. How many tulips are blooming?

2. Solve: Adam read 25 pages, Filip 32. How many pages did they read together?

3. For each problem write the answer in a full sentence.

4. Make up your own adding word problem for a parent. It must have a question!

Now you 💪

1. I read the problem twice and look for what it is asking.
2. I can translate a story into a question with a plus sign.
3. I answer in a full sentence and check that the result makes sense.

What to take from this lesson

• A word problem = a question hidden in a story.
• Three steps: read twice, write the question, answer in a sentence.
• You spot plus by: more arrived, got, together, in all.
• If you do not understand, draw circles.
• After adding the result must be bigger. Check the sense.

© 2026 Ing. Martin Polak / AlgoRhino · 内容使用条款