How to Explain Multi-Step Word Problems to Fourth Graders

"Maria had 24 stickers. She gave 6 to her brother and then bought 3 packs of 8 stickers each. How many stickers does she have now?"

Problems like this require students to juggle multiple pieces of information, choose the right operations, and perform them in the correct order. It's no wonder many fourth graders find multi-step word problems overwhelming.

Let's break down how to make these complex problems manageable.

Why Multi-Step Problems Matter

Real-world math is rarely one step:

• Shopping involves prices, quantities, taxes, and discounts
• Cooking requires scaling, converting, and combining
• Time management means adding and comparing durations
• Sports statistics involve multiple calculations

Students who master multi-step problem solving can tackle real situations confidently.

A Problem-Solving Framework

The CUBES Strategy

C - Circle the numbers (and labels)
U - Underline the question
B - Box operation keywords
E - Evaluate what steps are needed
S - Solve and check

Example Using CUBES

Problem: "Sam had $45. He bought 3 books at $8 each. Then he found $5 on the ground. How much money does Sam have now?"

C - Circle numbers: $45, 3 books, $8 each, $5

U - Underline question: "How much money does Sam have now?"

B - Box keywords: "bought" (subtract), "3 books at $8 each" (multiply), "found" (add)

E - Evaluate steps:

1. Find cost of books: 3 × $8
2. Subtract from starting amount: $45 - cost
3. Add the found money: result + $5

S - Solve:

1. 3 × $8 = $24 (cost of books)
2. $45 - $24 = $21 (after buying books)
3. $21 + $5 = $26 (final amount)

Check: Does $26 make sense? Started with $45, spent money, found a little more. Yes, $26 is reasonable.

Breaking Down the Problem

Step 1: Read the Problem Twice

First read: Get the overall story
Second read: Focus on numbers and the question

Step 2: Identify What You Know

Make a list:

• Starting amount: $45
• Books bought: 3
• Price per book: $8
• Money found: $5

Step 3: Identify What You Need to Find

The question: "How much money does Sam have now?"

This is the END of the story. We need to follow Sam's money through each event.

Step 4: Plan the Steps

Before calculating, write out the plan:

1. Find total cost of books (multiply)
2. Subtract cost from starting amount
3. Add the money found

Step 5: Solve Step by Step

Work through each step, labeling answers:

• Cost of books: 3 × $8 = $24
• Money after purchase: $45 - $24 = $21
• Final amount: $21 + $5 = $26

Step 6: Check Your Answer

Ask:

• Did I answer the actual question?
• Does my answer make sense in the story?
• Are my calculations correct?

Types of Multi-Step Problems

Type 1: Sequential Events

Events happen in order; track changes through time.

"Lisa had 56 marbles. She won 23 more, then gave 15 to her sister. How many marbles does Lisa have now?"

Start: 56
Won 23: 56 + 23 = 79
Gave 15: 79 - 15 = 64
Answer: 64 marbles

Type 2: Multiple Groups

Calculate for groups, then combine.

"Mr. Chen bought 4 boxes of pencils with 12 pencils each and 3 boxes of pens with 8 pens each. How many writing utensils did he buy in total?"

Pencils: 4 × 12 = 48
Pens: 3 × 8 = 24
Total: 48 + 24 = 72 writing utensils

Type 3: Compare and Calculate

Find a difference, then use it.

"Ava read 128 pages. Ben read 96 pages. If they want to read the same number of pages, how many more pages does Ben need to read?"

Difference: 128 - 96 = 32 pages
Ben needs to read 32 more pages.

Type 4: Hidden Questions

Some steps aren't directly asked but are needed.

"Each student needs 4 notebooks. There are 28 students in one class and 24 in another. How many notebooks are needed in all?"

Hidden question: How many students total?

Total students: 28 + 24 = 52
Notebooks needed: 52 × 4 = 208 notebooks

Type 5: Working Backwards

Know the end, find the start.

"After spending $17 on lunch, Maya had $38 left. How much did she start with?"

End amount + spent = start
$38 + $17 = $55
Maya started with $55.

Choosing Operations

When to Add

• Combining quantities
• Finding totals
• Putting together

"Juan has 15 red marbles AND 22 blue marbles."
15 + 22 = 37 total marbles

When to Subtract

• Taking away
• Finding how many more/fewer
• Finding what's left
• Finding the difference

"Sara had 45 stickers. She gave away 18."
45 - 18 = 27 stickers left

When to Multiply

• Equal groups
• Repeated addition
• Area problems
• "Each" with multiple

"5 bags with 12 apples each"
5 × 12 = 60 apples

When to Divide

• Sharing equally
• Making equal groups
• Finding how many in each group
• Finding how many groups

"72 cookies shared among 8 friends"
72 ÷ 8 = 9 cookies each

Keyword Caution

Keywords can help but can also mislead:

"Altogether" usually means add, but...
"Tom has 5 apples. He has 3 more than Sue. How many apples do they have altogether?"

• First find Sue's apples: 5 - 3 = 2
• Then add: 5 + 2 = 7 altogether

Understanding the story matters more than keywords.

Dealing with Extra Information

Some problems include numbers you don't need.

"The library has 450 books. On Monday, 12 students visited and checked out 3 books each. How many books were checked out?"

• Number of books in library (450): Not needed!
• Students (12) and books each (3): These are what matter

12 × 3 = 36 books checked out

Tip: Cross out information that isn't needed for the question asked.

Dealing with Missing Information

Sometimes you need to find information not directly given.

"Marcus earns $9 per hour. He worked 6 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday. How much did he earn for the weekend?"

Step 1: Find total hours (hidden question)
6 + 4 = 10 hours

Step 2: Find total earnings
10 × $9 = $90

Writing Equations for Word Problems

Using Letters for Unknowns

"Eva has some stickers. After her friend gives her 15 more, she has 42 stickers. How many did she start with?"

Let s = starting stickers
s + 15 = 42
s = 42 - 15
s = 27

Eva started with 27 stickers.

Two-Step Equations

"A number is multiplied by 4, then 7 is added. The result is 35. What is the number?"

Let n = the number
4n + 7 = 35
4n = 35 - 7
4n = 28
n = 28 ÷ 4
n = 7

The number is 7.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Mistake 1: Answering Only Part of the Question

Problem: "Kim bought 4 packs of gum with 5 pieces each. She already had 8 pieces. How many pieces does she have now?"

Wrong: 4 × 5 = 20 (stops here)

Fix: Reread the question. "How many does she have NOW" means include what she had:
20 + 8 = 28 pieces total

Mistake 2: Using the Wrong Operation

Wrong: Reading "times as many" as addition

Fix: Visualize the story. "3 times as many" means multiply the original by 3.

Mistake 3: Calculating in the Wrong Order

Problem: "8 + 4 × 3"

Wrong: 8 + 4 = 12, then 12 × 3 = 36

Fix: Follow order of operations—multiply first:
4 × 3 = 12, then 8 + 12 = 20

Mistake 4: Not Checking Reasonableness

Problem: "Jake has 24 cookies. He wants to share them equally among 6 friends. How many does each friend get?"

Wrong answer: 144 (multiplied instead of divided)

Fix: Check: Would each friend really get 144 cookies when Jake only has 24? That doesn't make sense! Should be 24 ÷ 6 = 4 cookies each.

Hands-On Activities

Write Your Own Problems

Students write multi-step problems for each other. This builds understanding of problem structure.

Problem Sorting

Give multiple problems. Sort by:

• Number of steps needed
• Operations used
• Whether they have extra information

Act It Out

Use physical objects to act out word problems:

• Count out blocks
• Move them as the story describes
• See what's left or how many total

Number Talk Discussions

Show a problem. Discuss:

• "What do we know?"
• "What are we trying to find?"
• "What's our first step? Why?"

Multiple approaches are celebrated.

Error Analysis

Show worked solutions with mistakes. Students find and fix the errors.

Building Problem-Solving Stamina

Start Simple

Begin with clear two-step problems before advancing to three or four steps.

Reduce Anxiety

• Mistakes are learning opportunities
• Process matters as much as answers
• Taking time is okay

Celebrate Strategies

Value good thinking, even if the answer isn't perfect:

• "I like how you identified what you needed to find"
• "Great job breaking this into steps"

Connecting to Real Life

Shopping Math

"You have $20. You want to buy 3 items at $4.50 each. Do you have enough? How much change would you get?"

Cooking Calculations

"This recipe makes 4 servings. How much of each ingredient for 12 servings?"

Time Management

"Practice starts at 3:30. It takes 15 minutes to walk there. When should you leave? If practice is 90 minutes, when will it end?"

Party Planning

"24 people are coming. Hot dogs come in packs of 8. If each person eats 2 hot dogs, how many packs do you need?"

Practice Ideas for Home

Daily Story Problems

Create problems from daily life:

• "We drove 45 miles this morning and 32 miles this afternoon..."
• "I had 15 emails, answered 8, and got 12 more..."

Problem of the Week

Tackle one challenging multi-step problem together. Discuss strategies without rushing to calculate.

Problem Writing Challenge

Take turns writing problems for each other. Start with an answer and work backwards to create the story.

Check the Answer Game

Parent solves a problem (sometimes correctly, sometimes with an error). Child checks if the answer makes sense.

The Bottom Line

Multi-step word problems aren't just computation exercises—they're critical thinking challenges. Students must comprehend text, extract relevant information, plan a solution path, execute calculations accurately, and verify reasonableness.

The most important skill isn't calculating—it's understanding. When your fourth grader can explain what a problem is asking and what steps are needed, the calculations often take care of themselves.

Teach process over answers. Celebrate good thinking. Build stamina through regular practice with varied problem types. And always ask: "Does this answer make sense?"

That question—"Does this make sense?"—is the mathematician's most powerful tool. Help your child use it early and often.