Addition and Subtraction Word Problems

Give eight stories, around fifteen to twenty minutes. Tell the child to read the whole problem, underline the question, and write the sentence in the work space before they calculate. The page has no pattern: any problem may be addition or subtraction, and that is the point. Use the key to check the sentence first, then the answer. Redo any story whose operation was wrong.

A page of one operation lets a child coast: they see a column of additions and stop reading. Here every story has to be understood. Words like more, left, total and fewer help, but they mislead too, since a story can say more and still need subtraction. This page builds the reading habit that word problems demand. Two-step stories are the natural next stage, where two operations appear in one problem.

This page opens on To 100. Use To 20 for first graders and a gentler start, and To 1,000 for third graders once regrouping is steady. Eight problems per page leaves space for drawings; ten is a quick review. Press New version for a different mix. If a child picks the wrong operation often, ask them to explain the story aloud first.

Will every page have the same number of additions and subtractions?

No. Each problem is addition or subtraction independently, so no pattern like alternating is reliable. A new version gives a different mix, which keeps students reading each story.

My child always adds. How do I break the habit?

Cover the numbers, read the story, and ask what is happening: more arriving, or something leaving or being compared. Decide the operation first, then uncover the numbers.

Are key words like 'altogether' reliable?

Mostly, but not always. A story using 'more' can still require subtraction. Teach the key words as clues, and make the child confirm the choice by picturing the situation.