Maths word problems - advise please?

[akdmummy]

Just wondering if teachers on here could advise what year you would expect children generally to be able to do maths word problems like the following please?

Please show your full working out for each question:

1. 79 spectators went to a football match. That is 21 fewer people than last week. How many spectators were there last week? and
   
   
2. One length of a swimming pool is 25m. Luke has swum three lengths so far. He is trying to swim 125m. How many more lengths does he need to swim?
   
   Many thanks.

[user789653241]

Not a teacher. Ds(8)yr4 done it easily.

1. 79 + 21 = 100 spectators.
   
   
2. 25 x 3 = 75 125- 75 = 50 50/25 = 2 more length.

[GraceGrape]

Hmm, with the new curriculum, by the end of year 2.

[atticusclaw2]

Year 2/3

[atticusclaw2]

Oh, sorry I'm not a teacher, just going from the DS's homework

[sirfredfredgeorge]

DD in YR1 understood what she had to do and the method to do it, her mental arithmetic meant she actually got the first one wrong.

[akdmummy]

Thanks all. My DD is a summer born yr2. She managed the questions like number 1 ok (where there was essentially one calculation to derive and work out) but struggled with the questions like number 2 where she had to work through it step by step.

I just wanted to gauge whether this was ok at this stage or whether she should be more fluent by now. She usually doesn't have a problem with maths so got very frustrated with this!

[user789653241]

I don't know about new NC, but even Q1 maybe quite tricky to some children. If they don't understand question fully, and just pick up on keyword like "fewer", they could easily make mistake by subtracting rather than adding. So, imo, your dd is doing great for yr2.

My ds used to struggle with word problems. I think practice makes perfect.

[GraceGrape]

I would say perfectly normal not to be able to do this independently at the beginning of year 2. My year 2 dd wouldn't be able to do this. Actually understanding the question would be trickier here than the arithmetic part and requires quite a bit of practice. Year 2 children would be allowed to use practical equipment and visuals to help them work out the answer if needed, but they have to actually understand what the question is asking them to do. I know of able mathematicians in upper KS2 who get this type of problem wrong because they have misinterpreted the question.

[DinnerIsDrivingMeBONKERS]

My yr 2 did wouldn't be able to read the question even!

[Ni58]

Year 3

[jamdonut]

There were similar questions to those in the Year 2SATS paper, this year

We spend a lot of time doing 'problem solving' questions now.

[GraceGrape]

Dinner Year 2 pupils are allowed to have the questions read to them.

[sparepantsandtoothbrush]

My DS is absolutely brilliant at maths. However, word problems used to throw him in y1/y2 because his comprehension was below his maths level! I'd say those questions would be for end of y2/early y3

[lougle]

Question 2 would be a number line. 125 at the end. Steps of 25. He's done 3 steps (75) how many steps left?

[Maarias]

Wow! Don't think my year 2 DS would be able to do word problems like this yet. Will check tomorrow

[Bluebird23]

I think my DS (Y2) would struggle with this word problem at the moment, he could do the actual arithmetic fine but would need a few prompts to understand the question. He finished Y1 at expected level in maths.

[mrz]

Single step word problems like question 1 are now in Y1 and multi step year 2

[Maarias]

Right just checked. He could do the first one once he knew the sum pretty quickly but did not even know how to pronounce spectators let alone know what they were!

Second one he couldn't do without a lot of help.

Thanks for the heads up though! Something to be aware of! I would have these sums as more early yr 3 level. My older one has always found word problems tricky and he's pretty good at Maths so it's probably good to start young!

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

DD1 is Y2 & Spring born can do Q1 with ease & they've just started on questions like Q2 she's picking it up quite well with support from her teacher & us. So yes I'd say it's about right & would think they'll be fairly confident by the end of the year.

[HouseAnxiety]

Counting in 25s is Year 3.

Q1 - Y2
Q2 - Y3

Although my top third Y2s would probably be able to do both at the end of Y2.

[Athrawes]

I have year 10s who can't do that. Sigh. That's 8 years of feeling rubbish about maths. Poor kids.

[mrz]

We follow Big Maths progress drives so count in 1s, 2s, 5s and 25s as 1st step

[Maarias]

I agree - DS is going 2 and 10 times tables at school. And starting 5 after half term. In terms of double digit calculations he can do those pretty quickly but I would def put Q 2 as an end of yr 2 question.

[akdmummy]

Thanks all. I think the issue for my DD is not the actual working out of the calculation, but for the multi step questions actually deriving what the calculations should be. So for q2 if it was written as: what is 25x3, then what is 125-75 and finally how many 25s in 50 she'd have been fine and could have done that without number line or 100 square or whatever, but the words threw her.

As someone said upthread I think (hope) this will come with practice. My mind has been set at rest. Thanks all.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I wouldn't worry about not being able to do it just yet.

Could you try some questions that essentially break down the 2-step questions into separate 2-part questions e.g.
2) The length of a swimming pool is 25m. Luke has swum 3 lengths so far.
a) How many m has he swum so far?
b) If he wants to swim 125m, how much further does he have to swim?

It might be an intermediary step between 1 and 2 step problems.