Some problems hide a question inside them. You must answer that one first.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Finding the hidden question
Ask what you would need to know before you could answer what was asked.
Hold the middle answer
Write it down. The middle answer is never the final answer.
Does it make sense?
If a shop started with 60 apples, the answer cannot be 90.
Plan before you calculate
A two-step problem is easier if you say the plan out loud first: "First I will find how many were left after she gave some away. Then I will add the new ones." Naming the two steps before doing either keeps you from combining the numbers in the wrong order.
The middle answer is not the final answer
The number you get from step one is a stepping stone. A frequent mistake is writing it down as the final answer because it feels like you have finished working. Reread the question after step one and ask whether it has been answered yet.
Check both steps
If the final answer looks wrong, the error could be in either step. Check them one at a time rather than redoing the whole problem. This is another reason to write each step on its own line — it makes the work checkable in pieces.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Tap and try it out.
Started with and Arrived
45
28
After step one
73
45 and 28 make 73.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Watch Leo Take Two Steps
A shop had 45 apples. 28 more arrived. Then 36 were sold.
- Step 1
He notices the question asks about the end, not the middle.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
The Library
Problem 1 of 2
A shelf had 52 books. 19 were borrowed. Then 27 were returned. How many now?
books
The Bus
Problem 2 of 2
34 people were on a bus. 18 got on, then 25 got off. How many are on now?
people
Two Steps Each
Say the middle answer out loud before finishing.
1 of 3
40 sweets. 25 more. 32 eaten. How many now?
2 of 3
86 marbles. 39 lost. 15 found. How many now?
3 of 3
28 red and 34 blue pens. 19 given away. How many left?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 2
55 apples. 27 more arrive. 34 are sold. How many are left?
Question 2 of 2
What should you do with the middle answer?
What You Learned
- Some problems hide a first question.
- Answer it, write it down, then finish.
- Check the answer makes sense before stopping.