The key to understanding word problems is to simplify them as much as possible. Word problems often don’t require advanced math skills. They feel difficult mainly because the information is buried in words. In this section, you’ll learn how to rewrite a word problem in a clearer form so it’s easier to solve.
Many people annotate by circling and underlining. That can work well in sections where the main challenge is interpreting wording. For math questions, though, circling and underlining often isn’t the most useful approach.
For math questions, it’s usually better to take brief notes off to the side as you read. This helps you capture the key information in a usable form, so you don’t have to keep re-reading the problem to remember what you marked.
Have you ever read the same question multiple times and still not understood what it was saying? That usually happens because the important facts aren’t separated from the extra wording.
As you read, write notes next to the problem - especially any numbers and units that seem important. Pull out the information you’ll need so you can focus on the facts and ignore distractions in the wording.
Once you’ve pulled out the facts, the problem often becomes much simpler. Now you have the “pieces” of the situation, and the question is asking you to put them together.
Look at what you wrote down and ask: what formulas or math topics match these facts? Use those relationships to connect the information and figure out how it all fits together.