Word Problems: Do I Add or Subtract?
Jan Mahlios · The Arithmetic Teacher · 1988
Studies of word problems and children's solutions to them have produced distinct and detailed classifications of such problems. Classifications of problems are often based on the active or static nature of the problem, on a set-subset relationship, or on comparisons of distinct sets. Within each problem class, the placement of the unknown factor creates more categories. An in structional technique is presented here to help student create a symbolic representation that may facilitate the decision-making process of choosing an appropriate operation to solve the problem.