Maths Guru
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Maths Word Problems for Kids

Word problems are maths in stories, and they are where children learn to use calculation in real life. Maths Guru gives short, varied problems about shopping, journeys, sharing and more, helping children decide what to do before they calculate.

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What word problems really teach

A word problem is a short story with a question. Solving it takes two skills: reading carefully to decide which operation is needed, and then doing the calculation accurately. Many children who are good at sums freeze on word problems because the first skill needs practice of its own.

A useful routine is read, picture, plan, solve, check. Read the problem twice, picture or draw it, write the calculation (for example 4 × 12), solve it, and check that the answer makes sense in the story. A negative number of apples, or a bus journey faster than a plane, tells you something went wrong.

Word problems cover the whole of primary maths: money and change, equal sharing, groups, fractions of an amount, distance and time, averages, perimeter and area. The better a child understands the underlying operation, the more confident they become with the story.

Common mistakes to watch for

The classic error is choosing the operation by keyword, such as adding every time you see "more" or "altogether". In "Ravi has 12 marbles, which is 5 more than Sam, how many does Sam have?", "more" suggests adding, yet the answer is 12 − 5 = 7.

Another is skipping steps. In a problem such as "Maya has ₹250 and spends ₹85 and then ₹60", children often stop after one subtraction. Underline every piece of information and make sure each one is used.

Children also forget the units, or answer a different question to the one asked, for example giving the total cost when the question asks for change. Finally, rushing is common when a timer is running. A calm, quick read of the question is worth more than a fast but wrong calculation. After solving, ask: does this make sense?

How to practise at home

Turn everyday life into word problems. At the market, ask "if one kilo of tomatoes costs ₹30, what do 3 kilos cost?" On a journey, ask "if we travel 60 km each hour, how far will we go in 3 hours?" In the kitchen, ask about sharing a dozen eggs among 4 people.

Ask your child to write their own word problems, with a given answer. This reveals whether they understand the structure and is a big step towards confident problem solving.

Draw bar diagrams. A long bar split into labelled parts shows totals and differences clearly. Ask "what do we know, what do we want to find?" before any calculation. Talking through the plan matters more than getting the answer.

How Maths Guru teaches word problems

Scroll City in Conquer the World is the word-problems island, open to the Year 3 to 4 group and above. It mixes problems from many strands: shopping totals and change, budgets, equal sharing, groups of items, finding a fraction of an amount, journey distances and speed, adding to times, averages, perimeter and area, missing angles, simple probability and number patterns. Each question is a short story with answer choices.

Word problems also feature in Number Kingdoms (claim a Bazaar and you answer one), in Time Skip's Expert tier, and in Classroom quizzes, where a teacher can choose word problems as a topic. Questions use rupee amounts and everyday situations familiar to children in India.

Worked examples

Aarav buys 4 pens at ₹12 each. How much does he pay?

Answer: ₹48

Four pens at ₹12 each is 4 × 12 = 48, so Aarav pays ₹48. Check: 12 + 12 + 12 + 12 = 48.

Meera pays ₹100 for items that cost ₹63. How much change should she get?

Answer: ₹37

Change is the amount paid minus the cost: 100 − 63 = 37. Counting up: 63 to 70 is 7, and 70 to 100 is 30, so 37.

36 sweets are shared equally among 4 children. How many does each get?

Answer: 9

Equal sharing is division: 36 ÷ 4 = 9. Check: 4 × 9 = 36.

A train travels at 60 km per hour for 3 hours. How far does it go?

Answer: 180 km

Distance = speed × time = 60 × 3 = 180 km.

Ravi has ₹250. He spends ₹85 and then ₹60. How much is left?

Answer: ₹105

He spends 85 + 60 = 145 in total, and 250 − 145 = 105. So ₹105 is left.

Find the mean of 6, 8, 10 and 12.

Answer: 9

Add the numbers: 6 + 8 + 10 + 12 = 36. Divide by how many there are: 36 ÷ 4 = 9.

Tips for parents

  • Use the routine: read, picture, plan, solve, check.
  • Underline the question and every number; make sure each is used.
  • Don't choose the operation by keyword alone; picture the story.
  • Draw a bar diagram to show totals, parts and differences.
  • Always ask: does my answer make sense in the story?

Practise it in these games

Questions parents ask

Why do children struggle with word problems?

They need to turn words into a calculation, which is a separate skill from calculating. Practising a routine (read, picture, plan, solve, check) and starting with simple one-step problems builds confidence.

What kind of word problems does Maths Guru include?

They cover money and change, sharing, groups, fractions of amounts, distance and speed, time, averages, perimeter and area, angles, probability and patterns, using rupee amounts and everyday situations.

How can I help at home?

Make up problems from daily life such as shopping and travel, ask your child to explain their plan, and encourage them to write problems for you to solve.

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