How to Help Kids Solve Math Word Problems

I Can Do Hard Things… Just Not Word Problems

“If a train leaves Chicago at 4 p.m…”

That’s where I stop.
That’s where we all stop.

Because somewhere in the jumble of miles per hour, elapsed time, and two trains hurtling toward each other, every ounce of logic in my brain just… leaves the station.

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The Day the Train Left My Sanity Behind

It was 9:30 a.m., and my son was staring at a word problem about two cyclists traveling in opposite directions.
By the time we hit “find the distance between them after two hours,” I was questioning every life choice I’d ever made.

He looked at me.
I looked at him.
Neither of us wanted to admit we had no idea what was happening.

So we did what homeschool moms do best.
We Googled.

Ten minutes later, we had a solution — but zero confidence.

That’s when I realized: word problems aren’t really about math.
They’re about thinking.

And thinking under pressure is way harder than finding x.

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This Doesn’t Make Sense (But Also Totally Does)

Experts say that word problems are supposed to build critical thinking, logic, and reasoning.
But here’s what they forget to mention:

Most kids (and moms) don’t struggle with the math — they struggle with the story.

The words are a maze.
The numbers are just hiding inside.
And when kids feel lost in the story, their brains shut down before they ever get to the math.

Dr. Jo Boaler, a math education researcher at Stanford, puts it like this:

“When students face math that feels disconnected from their lives, their engagement drops and their learning shuts off.”

Sound familiar?

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There’s Got to Be a Better Way

So instead of forcing the “train from Chicago” problem one more time, I tried something different.

I made our own word problems.

• “If Ben spends $12 at the hardware store and $8 on snacks, how much does he have left for gas?”
• “If we double the cookie recipe, how many chocolate chips do we need before Dad eats half the bag?”
• “If it’s 3:45 now and the youth group starts at 5:00, when do we actually have to leave if someone still needs a shower?”

Suddenly, he was solving everything — because it made sense.

The problem wasn’t the math.
It was the irrelevance.

Once the story matched real life, the math followed easily.

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7 Sanity-Saving Tips for Tackling Word Problems

If word problems have ever made you question your calling as a homeschool mom, try these before giving up:

1. Start with the Story, Not the Math.
Before anyone picks up a pencil, read the problem like a short story.
Who’s in it? What’s happening? If your student can retell the story in their own words, they’ve already started thinking critically.

2. Ask, “What Do We Actually Know?”
Word problems love to bury clues in fluff.
Have your student highlight or jot down only the facts that matter.
Everything else? Background noise.

3. Let Them Draw It.
Numbers are abstract; pictures are concrete.
Encourage sketches — stick figures, diagrams, doodles — anything to help visualize the problem.
Research from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics shows that visualization improves problem-solving accuracy by up to 30%.

4. Change the Names and the Context.
“If a train leaves Chicago…” means nothing to a 12-year-old.
“If your friend rides her bike to the park…” suddenly means everything.
Swap the setting for something familiar. Same math. Better engagement.

5. Solve It Backwards.
When they’re stuck, start at the end.
Work backward from what you’re trying to find.
It builds logic, confidence, and critical thinking — minus the panic.

6. Talk It Out.
Word problems aren’t meant to be silent puzzles.
Ask your student to explain their thinking aloud.
Half the time, they’ll find their own mistake mid-sentence.

7. Celebrate Reasoning, Not Just Results.
Even if the answer’s wrong, praise the process.
Math mastery grows from persistence, not perfection.
If they can explain their reasoning, they’re learning.

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The Secret Truth About Word Problems

They’re not about trains, or rates, or distances.
They’re about learning to untangle confusion.
To pause, sort information, and find what matters.

That’s a life skill worth teaching.

But here’s the secret no one tells you:
You can teach that skill with real word problems — from your kitchen, not a textbook.

“If we have $75 to spend and the jeans cost $42, can we still get fries on the way home?”

“If it takes 6 eggs to make 2 batches, how many do we need for 3?”

That’s math with meaning.
That’s math they’ll remember.

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Hope for the Mom Who Hates Word Problems

If you’ve ever cried over a train problem, you’re not alone.
You don’t need to fix your curriculum.
You just need to fix the context.

Make it real.
Make it funny.
Make it yours.

Because at the end of the day, I can do hard things.
Just not word problems that start with, “If a train leaves Chicago at 4 p.m.”

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P.S.
If your middle schooler freezes at math (or if you do), skip the trains and start with something real — like my Budgeting Project. It’s hands-on, relevant, and secretly teaches everything those textbooks are trying to do… minus the tears.