How to explain understanding word problems in understanding & practising word problems to your child: Example question for 11+
27 October 2026
Word problems help children connect maths to real-life situations. By breaking down the question, your child can learn to spot what is being asked and which numbers are important.
Example question
A shop sells 15 pencils. 7 pencils are sold in the morning. How many pencils are left to sell in the afternoon?
Step 1: Read the problem carefully twice.
Step 2: What is the question asking? It asks how many pencils are left.
Step 3: Find the numbers. There are 15 pencils to start with. 7 are sold in the morning.
Step 4: Decide what to do. We need to subtract the pencils sold from the total.
Step 5: 15 - 7 = 8
The answer is 8 pencils left to sell in the afternoon.
After working through this example, your child will recognise how to read a word problem, pick out the key information, and decide on the right operation. There are more questions like this ready for your child to practise, building confidence with similar problems.
