If your class struggles with solving math word problems, you’ve come to the right place. Using the CUBES or CUBED problem-solving strategy for math story problems will help your students focus on the steps they need to solve word problems.
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We love math story problems!
Everyone does love word problems – right?
WRONG.
I get it. they can be pretty difficult for students, and some teachers don’t feel equipped to teach them. That’s a problem.
Math keywords posters
I like to use the CUBES/CUBED method.
I introduce the CUBES/CUBED math strategy early in the school year. With younger students, it’s important to use controlled math story problems as they learn the procedure. By controlled math word problems, I mean basic problems that will probably result in success for students. It’s important that students experience success to build their confidence and motivation to learn.
As we move deeper into the school year, we encounter more challenging, multi-step word problems. Depending on your math series, you may encounter the “Throw it all at you” style of word problems. These word problems jam tons of overwhelming information into one problem. You know, the problems with lots of steps and lots of words.
The “Throw it all at you” problems bring students and assignments to a screeching halt. Often, my students became totally bogged down by the multi-step problems requiring organized thinking that they haven’t yet developed.
Tape these reference bookmarks into student folders!
CUBES Math story problem strategy
Students need a strategy and organized method of approaching these math story problems to avoid the overwhelming feeling of fear and dread. Without a plan, students just pull the numbers out of the word problem and add them together. We’ve all been there, right? When students didn’t know if they should add, subtract, multiply, or divide, they just picked one randomly.
Below is a bulletin board using posters from the CUBES Strategy Posters for solving math story problems. Bulletin boards and teacher-created anchor charts make great reference tools for students.
CUBES or CUBED math word problem reference bulletin board
Teachers can choose their favorite method.
The more traditional CUBES method uses these steps:
1. Circle the numbers
2. Underline the question
3. Box the keywords
4. Eliminate what you don’t need
5. Solve and Label (I added “label” because we all require it – don’t we?)
Or you can choose the newer CUBED method, which stands for:
1. Circle the numbers
2. Underline the question
3. Box the keywords
4. Eliminate what you don’t need
5. Draw a picture (which is often seen in the Common Core State Standards)
CUBES – or CUBED – Poster Resources
Whichever method you prefer, you’re covered because there are poster sets for both versions.
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All of the posters in the picture above are included. In addition, you receive mini-posters so each student can have their own copy. The mini-posters can be laminated, handed out to students, and attached to their math folders or binders to use as a reference tool at home.
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A basic, smaller-sized poster set is also included for smaller class displays.
Is your class beginning to work on multiplication and division facts? Below is a bundled set of CUBES (and CUBED) posters with beginner-level task cards focusing on basic multiplication and division facts used in math story problems. They’re basic cards (both with and without extra information to eliminate) that simplify differentiation.
These posters feature a clean, updated/modern look:
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More articles about the CUBES strategy
Want to learn even more about the CUBES math word problem-solving strategy? See my feature article “How to Teach Math Word Problems.”
