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Its easy to think of mathematics as a kind of storybook sorcery -- a powerful secret language known to few, mastered by inhuman agents (such as your calculator) and underpinning the very fabric of the universe. Even if we avoid such hyperbole, the fact remains: Many of us are mathematically illiterate in a world that runs on math. When was the last time you seriously crunched some numbers with only pen and paper? In his book The Geometry of Paradise, Mark A. Peterson described the people of medieval Europe as a nonmathematical culture in possession of sophisticated mathematics. Mathematicians of the day certainly honed their skills but mostly out of love for mathematical abstractions. They perused few practical applications with it and, according to Peterson, didnt really grasp what math was. Today, the mathematics field is far more vibrant than it was in the Middle Ages, but it still eludes an alarming number of those who depend on it. On one hand, math certainly has a way of solving itself these days through calculators and hastily keyed-in Google searches. Yet for many individuals, mathematical anxiety begins with inadequate teaching from nonmathematicians who have trouble relaying enthusiasm and practicality. Factor in overcrowded classes, and its little wonder that so many students fail to latch onto maths logical core. In fact, only 40 percent of 4th graders and 34 percent of 8th graders in the U.S. are proficient in math, according to Arne Duncan, U.S. education secretary speaking at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in April 2011. The ramifications of mathematical illiteracy are very real. In 2005, the United States National Academies identified the countrys decline in mathematics education as having a severe detrimental effect on its scientific, technological and economic prowess source: Mullich. So lets demystify the world of mathematics. A world without math is unimaginable. Its a part of who we are. Its the analytical juice of our left brain and, in the words of physicist Richard Feynman, even a fool can use it. Heres a quote from the late great scientists book The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: What weve been able to work out about nature may look abstract and threatening to someone who hasnt studied it, but it was fools who did it, and in the next generation, all the fools will understand it. Theres a tendency to pomposity in all this, to make it deep and profound. In this article, well take a very wide-angle look at the world of numbers. Just what are they, and what does math really do? Word problems can be perceived as the dreaded bane of your students existence, or they can be a walk in the park. The amount of practice your students have working with word problems affects their confidence level in this area. Design Christmas word problem worksheets that are suitable for second and third-grade students. The sample questions adhere to math standards for those grades. Most of these word problems focus on number sense. Heres some simple math for you. If word problems are applied in real-world scenarios that children enjoy, the likelihood increases that they will find the problems easy to solve. In terms of fun word problem scenarios, you can incorporate Christmas themes into the problems. Most children enjoy the Christmas season, even those who dont celebrate the holiday. Images of jolly snowmen and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer delight children during this time. Now, pair Christmas-based situations with math word problems to delight young students.Students at a very young age need to practice solving problems when the unknown value is at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the word problem. Using this strategy will help children become better problem-solvers and critical thinkers.Before you assign word problems to your students, make sure that you vary the types of questions. The variety will help create good thinking habits among your students. For second grade worksheets, you will note that addition and subtraction problems are the most appropriate. One strategy to help students in the younger grades to think critically is to consider changing where the unknown value is.For instance, look at the following question:For Christmas, you got 12 candy canes in your stocking and 7 from the tree. How many candy canes do you have?Now, look at this transposition of a word problem:You wrapped 17 presents and your brother wrapped 8 presents. How many more presents did you wrap? By third grade, your students have started to get comfortable with fractions, multiplication, and division. Try incorporating some of these elements into your third-grade worksheets.For example, your string of Christmas lights has 12 bulbs on it, but 14 of the bulbs dont work. How many bulbs do you have to buy to replace the ones that dont work? Word problems take math understanding to the next level. By meshing reading comprehension skills with everything already learned in mathematics, your students are becoming critical problem solvers.Real-world scenarios show students why they need to learn math, and how to solve the real problems they will encounter. Help connect these dots for your students.Word problems are an important assessment tool for teachers. If your students are able to comprehend and solve word problems, it shows you that your students are grasping the math being taught to them. Kudos for the guidance you provide. Your hard work is paying off.

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