Worded problems can be confusing for many students, therefore it is essential to develop an effective approach that can be applied to every question. Firstly, take the time to read the question through at least twice, or until you fully understand it. If you are confused with any terminology, ask for assistance or search up any definitions if you are able to in the situation. Another great approach includes attempting to simplify the given question by including the relevant information in a way that is structured clearly for you.

After this, try to extract any values that are essential in solving the problem and write out each term by assigning symbols that relate to what the value is measuring as well as the appropriate units (e.g height(h) = 0.85 m). Make sure that all the values are in the correct units that the question is asking you to answer in. If these units do not align to the value given in the question, be sure to convert it.

From this, an equation should be constructed out of the worded question. Depending on the question, different approaches will be needed. Sometimes a bottom-up approach is best where you use the answer as a starting point and work backwards, or alternatively by starting from the start. It is essential that the unknown, or the value that you need to find is a clearly identifiable variable (e.g ‘x’). Once an equation is produced, the student should double check that it makes sense by reading through the question with the equation and then solving it accordingly in a logical manner.