Addition & Subtraction Word Problems to 20
šµļøāāļø Become a math detective! Read the stories carefully. Are they combining things or taking things away? You have to choose the right tool.
Concept
In the real world, nobody tells you to "add" or "subtract". You just have to listen to the story to figure out what is happening! šÆ **The Detective Checklist:** 1. **Read the Story:** What is the action happening in the story? 2. **Action = Addition (+):** Joining, finding more, combining, growing, earning. (Clue words: *in all, total, together*). 3. **Action = Subtraction (-):** Leaving, breaking, eating, losing, spending, comparing. (Clue words: *left, fewer, more than, difference*). **Example:** "Sam had 15 balloons. 4 of them popped. How many balloons are left?" * **The Action:** Popping (things are going away). * **The Clue:** "left". * **The Math:** 15 - 4 = 11. * Sam has 11 balloons left.
Try it
Solve the mysteries! **Instructions:** Figure out if the story is adding or subtracting, then solve it. **Mystery 1:** 12 birds were sitting on a wire. 6 more birds flew in to join them. How many birds are there now? * Action: Joining * Equation: 12 ___ 6 = ___ * Answer: ___ birds. **Mystery 2:** Lily baked 18 cookies. Her brother ate 7 of them. How many cookies does Lily have left? * Action: Eating/Losing * Equation: 18 ___ 7 = ___ * Answer: ___ cookies. **Mystery 3:** You have 9 red crayons and 5 blue crayons. How many crayons do you have in total? * Answer: ___ crayons. **Mystery 4:** A toy costs $20. You only have $15. How much more money do you need to buy the toy? * Answer: ___ dollars.