Word problems require reading for understanding, identifying the operation, solving, and verifying. Addition contexts include combining groups, adding to, and comparing. Students learn to translate words into mathematical expressions.
A word problem is a story that hides a math problem inside it. Your job is to read the story, figure out what operation it is asking for, write the math, and solve it. You already know how to add numbers — the new skill here is figuring out *when* to add. The words in the story give you clues.
There are three main situations where addition is the right tool. The first is combining: two groups are put together. "Maria has 14 stickers and gets 23 more. How many does she have?" Two separate amounts join into one — that means add. The second is adding to: you start with some amount and something increases it. "There were 27 birds in a tree. 15 more land. How many now?" The total gets bigger, so add. The third is comparing to find the larger amount: "Jake has 34 cards. He has 11 more than Sam. How many does Jake have?" Here, "more than" signals addition even though the word "more" might feel like a comparison.
The key trick is to look for signal words before you reach for your pencil. Words like *altogether*, *total*, *in all*, *both*, *combined*, and *more* usually point to addition. But be careful — the word "more" can also appear in subtraction problems ("how many more does Jake have than Sam?"), so always check the full question before deciding. Reading the problem twice — once for the story, once for the math — helps you catch what the question is really asking.
Once you identify addition, use what you know about adding two-digit numbers. Break numbers apart by place value if it helps: to add 34 + 23, think of 30 + 20 = 50 and 4 + 3 = 7, giving 57. After you solve, check your answer against the story — does 57 make sense as a total of 34 and 23? Verifying keeps errors from slipping through. Word problems are just number problems wearing a disguise; once you see through the disguise, the math is familiar.