Word problems are troublesome for many students. So well-meaning teachers have come up with strategies to help solve them. One strategy is to use keywords from the word problem to determine which operation to use. Another strategy some teachers use along with key words is called CUBES which stands for Circle the the numbers Underline the question Box the key words Evaluate the steps to use Solve and Check At first, it seems like a good idea to use these strategies. Students

“Is that the right answer?” Students ask me this question often when we first start working together. They are programmed to think that the goal of doing math is getting the correct answer. After working with me for a while they learn that the process of solving a math problem is just as important - maybe even more important - than getting the answer. Don’t get me wrong. I certainly want students to add, subtract, multiply, and divide accurately. These are important skill