How to Interpret Math Word Problems (Before Students Touch the Numbers)

If students jump straight to numbers and keywords, they’re not interpreting the problem. They’re skipping the most important step.
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Learn the hidden thinking skill strong problem solvers use to make sense of word problems before writing equations.

--- THINK Before You Solve Word Problems Workshop ---
https://www.thinkingmathcorner.ca/tby...

📌 Chapters
0:00 Students freeze on word problems
0:36 Why this struggle isn’t about effort or motivation
1:20 What we think students are doing vs. what they actually do
2:05 Interpreting vs. translating text
2:45 The missing skill
3:40 What strong problem solvers do differently
4:25 Numbers aren’t the math — relationships are
5:10 Why keyword strategies quietly fail students
5:55 Symbols as compressed meaning
6:45 Why students can solve equations but not create them
7:30 What changes when meaning comes first
8:05 Final reframe for teaching word problems
8:35 How this connects to THINK Before You Solve

Hi, I’m Michelle from Thinking Math Corner. My mission is to work with middle and high school math teachers to build thinkers in the classroom through productive struggle instead of memorization. My self-paced course, Teach for THINKING, supports teachers to develop a problem solving and reasoning classroom culture. Check it out here: https://www.thinkingmathcorner.ca/thi...

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