Some problems cannot be answered in one move. You have to work something out first.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Find the hidden question
Ask yourself: what do I need to know before I can answer what was asked?
Hold on to the middle answer
The first answer is not the answer. Write it down, then use it in the second step.
A tape diagram helps. Draw what you know, then see what is missing.
The hidden first question
A two-step problem asks you something the numbers cannot answer directly. Somewhere in the story there is a smaller question you must answer first. Finding that hidden question is the actual skill; the arithmetic afterwards is easy.
A worked case
Maya had 12 stickers. She gave 5 to her brother, then her aunt gave her 7. How many now? The hidden first question is how many she had after giving some away: 12 - 5 = 7. Now the real question can be answered: 7 + 7 = 14. Two steps, two number sentences.
Write both sentences down
Do not try to hold the middle number in your head. Write 12 - 5 = 7 on one line and 7 + 7 = 14 on the next. When a teacher or a friend reads your work they can follow it, and when you make a mistake you can see exactly which step went wrong instead of starting over.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Use the bars to hold the first answer while you find the second.
First amount and Second amount
6
5
So far
11
6 and 5 make 11.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Watch Ana Take Two Steps
Ana had 6 shells. She found 5 more. Then she gave 3 to Leo.
- Step 1
She spots that the question is about the end, not the middle.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
The Bakery
Problem 1 of 2
A tray held 8 buns. 6 more were baked. Then 5 were sold. How many buns are left?
buns
The Library
Problem 2 of 2
Leo borrowed 9 books and returned 4. Then he borrowed 3 more. How many does he have?
books
Two Steps Each
Work out the middle answer first, then finish.
1 of 3
7 apples. 6 more arrive. 4 are eaten. How many now?
2 of 3
15 birds. 7 fly away. 2 come back. How many now?
3 of 3
5 red and 6 blue pens. 3 are lost. How many are left?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 2
9 sweets. 5 more given. 6 eaten. How many are left?
Question 2 of 2
In a two-step problem, what is the first answer you find?
What You Learned
- Some problems hide a first question inside them.
- Work out the middle answer, then use it.
- The middle answer is never the answer.