Problem Solving Clue Words

C - Circle the Numbers

●Look for all the numbers in the problem

●Circle them with your pencil

●This helps you see what information you have

●Example: "Sam has 5 apples and buys 3 more"

Circle: 5 and 3

U - Underline the Question

●Find the question in the problem

●Draw a line under it

●This shows what you need to find out

●Example: "How many apples does Sam have now?"

Underline: "How many apples does Sam have now?"

B - Box the Keywords

●Look for important words that tell you what to do

●Draw a box around these words

●Examples of keywords:

●Add, Plus, Sum, Total

●Subtract, Minus, Difference

●More than, Less than

E - Eliminate Extra Information

●Cross out any information you don't need

●This helps you focus on what's important

●Example: "Sam has 5 red apples and buys 3 green ones. How many apples
does he have?"

Cross out: "red" and "green" (color doesn't matter for counting)

S - Solve and Check

●Use the information to solve the problem

●Check if your answer makes sense

●Ask yourself: "Does this answer fit the question?"

Let's Practice!

Problem: "Jenny has 4 cookies. Her friend gives her 2 more. How many cookies
does Jenny have now?"

1. Circle: 4 and 2

2. Underline: "How many cookies does Jenny have now?"

3. Box: "gives her"

4. Eliminate: Nothing to cross out

5. Solve: (4 + 2 = 6) cookies