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• January 3, 2021
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CUBES Math Strategy for Word Problems

The CUBES math strategy is a tool teachers use to aid students with problem solving. Do you have students that when faced with a word problem they seem to freeze and have no idea where to start?

The math CUBE strategy provides those students with a starting point, a set of steps to perform in order to solve a particular math word problem.

What is the CUBES strategy?

This strategy helps students break down word problems by creating five steps they must follow in order to solve. CUBES is an acronym that is easily remembered by students.

C – Circle the numbers

U – Underline the question

B – Box the key words

E – Evaluate and Eliminate unnecessary information

S – Solve and check

Why use the CUBES math strategy?

• It gives students a starting point when they are faced with word problems. We know many kids fear word problems and many times they have no idea where to start.
• It makes kids aware of what the problem is asking – this might seem simple but forcing kids to underline the question is a good way to make them read what is the problem asking me to do.
• It brings out all the numbers in the problem – sometimes word problems present numbers in numerical form, word form, or any other tricky form. Circling the numbers forces kids to look through the problem to find numbers in any form.

If you are looking for a digital way to use CUBES, I have created a set of Google slides where students can annotate the word problems, write an equation, and solve.

https://youtu.be/0iL3v7V6jVA

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Exploring the Power of the CUBES Math Strategy for Word Problems

Math problem-solving is one of the most challenging things we teach. The CUBES strategy is all about helping students tackle those tricky word problems with ease. Whether you’re dealing with pesky volume or area questions, or trying to figure out how many more apples Sally has than Timmy, the CUBES math strategy can be a great way to help those learners who struggle with word problems develop a systematic method to approach these problems. By breaking down the problem into smaller, more manageable chunks, you can quickly solve even the most complicated math problems.

So if you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head in frustration over your struggling learners’ battle with story problems, fear not! The CUBES math strategy is here to make your life a whole lot easier. Stick around to learn more about how this awesome strategy can help you help your struggling students become math problem-solving pros!

What is the CUBES Math Strategy?

The CUBES math strategy is a tool designed to help give students a systematic approach to breaking down and solving math word problems. The acronym C.U.B.E.S stands for:

• C ircle key numbers & units
• U nderline the question
• B ox math action words
• E valuate the problem
• S olve the problem & check your work

By breaking down the problem into these steps, students can better understand the context of the problem and effectively solve it.

Benefits of using the CUBES strategy in math word problems

While CUBES is not the ideal method for all math problem solving, especially as word problems become more complex, you can use the strategy as a starting point to guide struggling students in being more attentive and systematic when tackling word problems.

Many struggling learners struggle with executive functioning and need a clear-cut plan for tackling this next-level math skill, and incorporating a strategy like CUBES into your teaching can give them steps to approach word problems rather than leaving them overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. This can help students build confidence in their ability to successfully solve math story problems and prepare them to solve multi-step problems, ultimately enhancing their problem-solving skills.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the CUBES Strategy

Implementing the CUBES strategy means teaching students the key steps and working through a gradual release process until they can effectively do this themselves. This systematic approach helps students understand the problem and empowers them to tackle word problems with confidence. Here’s a little more about each step your students will need to achieve:

C- Circle the numbers & units

C stands for “circle the key information.” This includes the numbers, units, and core information needed to solve the problem. This includes identifying math vocabulary that represents a number, such as “several,” “half,” or “a dozen.” Some questions may not involve numbers at all, in which case you would circle each instance of the word “none.” It is also important to identify units (such as feet, miles, or kilograms) and whether there is a decimal point.

While we don’t want students solely relying on keywords when faced with a word problem, it can be helpful for them to recognize which words are references to mathematical symbols. For example, “+” means addition, and “-” means subtraction.

U- Underline the question

After students read the problem and circle numbers/units, they must underline the question. While this may seem silly, if students aren’t attending to what is being asked, they won’t get the right answer. Helping students stay on target is a key component of the CUBES strategy for solving math problems.

Once your student has underlined the question and knows exactly what he or she needs to solve, it’s time to move on to step B: boxes and bullets.

B- Box math action words

Notice this doesn’t say keywords…Again, we don’t want students focused solely on using keywords for math problem solving. Research has shown time and time again this is an ineffective strategy once problems become more complex.

That said, students need to look at word problems through the lens of critical readers. What in the problem gives them a clue as to what they need to do to solve it?

Just like the author of a story gives us details to help us infer and get to the story’s resolution, the author of a word problem helps us find the path to the solution. We need to be critical readers to get there. This is where boxing key information can be helpful. Here are some common examples that are often viewed as keywords but are critical for students to attend to to solve problems accurately:

• Addition: add, added, both, sum, total
• Subtraction: difference between, less than
• Multiplication: times twice as many/much as of every
• Division: split equally among/between each share out of

E- Evaluate or Equation

At this stage, it’s time to implement your strategy to solve. For some students, this will be writing and solving the equation. Others may need to evaluate by drawing a picture or using manipulatives to model the problem.

Either way, by this stage your learners should have broken down the problem to the point that they feel confident implementing a method that will lead them to the final step – solving.

S- Solve & Check

Once the strategy has been chosen, guide your students through the process of solving the problem. This may involve writing out the equation, solving for the unknown variable, and checking their work to ensure they have found the correct solution.

Encourage your students to show their work and explain their reasoning as they solve the problem. This will not only help them understand the process better but also allow you to provide feedback and support if needed.

It’s important to emphasize the importance of checking their work to ensure they have found the correct solution. This may involve plugging the solution back into the original problem to verify it or checking their work for errors in calculations.

Once your students have successfully solved the problem, congratulate them on their hard work and encourage them to reflect on the process. Ask them questions such as what strategies worked well for them, what challenges they encountered, and how they can apply what they have learned to similar problems in the future.

By guiding your students through the process of problem-solving and encouraging them to reflect on their work, you are helping them develop essential critical thinking skills that will serve them well in all areas of their education and beyond. 

Tips for Implementing the CUBES Math Word Problem Strategy

Whenever you’re preparing to implement a strategy with your struggling learners, it can be helpful to get some tips from teachers who have been there. In asking for advice from colleagues, here’s what they had to say.

To teach the cubes strategy, you should:

• Teach the strategy as a whole. Because this is such a visual strategy, it’s useful to provide multiple examples of how to solve problems with CUBES on a poster or anchor chart. You can use the chart below as an example of what to include.
• Use a standard problem as an example. Before having students practice on their own, have them watch and listen as you model how to use the CUBES strategy on the board using a Problem of the Day or by writing in student journals. Visual learners will appreciate watching you write out each step and manipulate your complex number sentence cube.
• Use anchor charts you make together in class. Then transfer that knowledge into modeling one or two more examples with students using cubes they create out of construction paper, or if necessary, manipulatives like buttons or dry beans.
• Don’t fall into the trap that the standard algorithm is the only way to solve once the strategy has been used. Let students draw pictures, use manipulatives, make number lines, or whatever other strategies you’ve taught. The CUBES math strategy is to help them break up the problem. It isn’t the guiding principle of the math calculations.
• Students can use CUBES to filter out irrelevant details and focus on the essential details needed to solve the problem. By guiding students to evaluate the problem systematically, you can help students make informed decisions and tackle complex math challenges. It is great for learners who might get bogged down in all the details.

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How to teach math word problems – cubes math strategy.

Discover the power of the CUBES math strategy for understanding word problems! This step-by-step approach will boost comprehension and problem-solving skills and help students really understand story problems.

Are your students struggling to tackle word problems? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. Word problems can be overwhelming, especially for struggling students. But no worries, the CUBES math strategy is here to save the day!

Math Word Problems

Word problems are a staple in math lessons for a reason – they reflect real-life situations. Sure, some problems may seem a bit ridiculous (like buying 60 watermelons – big eye roll here), but others offer valuable and meaningful learning opportunities.

The challenge lies in the variety and complexity of word problems. Upper elementary students run into super challenging multi-step problems that can leave them scratching their heads.

As a teacher, it’s essential to differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of all learners.

That’s where the CUBES math strategy comes in. By using this strategy, you can provide struggling students with a concrete step-by-step process to approach word problems. Say goodbye to frustration and hello to success!

Plus, this method slows students down and focuses their attention on one aspect of the problem at a time .

Many students rush through their work without really taking the time to read the problems and digest the meaning. The CUBES strategy helps students pause, reflect, and truly engage with the problem , leading to a deeper understanding and focus.

Incorporating the CUBES math strategy is easy.

Start by presenting the lesson to the whole class, but keep a close eye on your strugglers. Pull them into a small group to give them the extra support they need before they become overwhelmed by the assignment.

The greater the struggle, the smaller the group – at least, that’s the rule I try  to follow.

CUBES Math Word Problem Strategy

Step 1:  Read the problem out loud.

Read the problem aloud. Then reread it, emphasizing comprehension.

Students need to read or hear the problem multiple times before they even pick up a pencil to start. They need to visualize – what’s happening in the problem?

Here’s the clincher – don’t let them off the hook!   Make them state out loud what they understand from the problem.

Keep in mind that sometimes students can’t explain the problem because they genuinely don’t understand what is happening.

My low readers often don’t digest the information as they read.

Word problems call on many skills: comprehension, sorting out needed and unneeded information, deciding on the operation, etc.

It’s hard for students to organize their thoughts at this point – but that’s exactly what we need them to do. And that’s precisely why they must read and reread the problem until they understand what’s happening.

I constantly tell my students that I, personally, have to read word problems several times before I understand them. My strugglers often don’t even want to read the problem once.

Break the problem down sentence by sentence if needed.

Allow think time so they can fully understand the problem and the steps.

* Unfortunately, that’s the problem for us as teachers. All the reading and discussion takes time – very valuable time.  It also takes practice and patience. 

I often adjust or differentiate assignments by giving my struggling crew fewer problems to complete.

Focus on a few problems done correctly rather than several incorrect ones rushed through.

Step 2:  Circle the numbers AND LABELS!

Moving on to step two, I’ve learned that labels play a crucial role in comprehension. For that reason, I instruct my students to circle the numbers AND the labels at the same time . That saves time at the end when they need to label their answer.

Step 3:  Underline the question

Step three is all about underlining the question and making sure students truly understand it. Challenge them to rephrase the question in their own words. This step is vital for selecting the correct operation and solving the problem effectively.

You may need to backtrack and reread the problem again, emphasizing the question.

That’s when we have the part versus the whole discussion. What information are we given?  Do we have part of something, or is it a whole/total amount?

If a student truly doesn’t know what he’s looking for, they can’t choose the correct operation needed to solve the problem. A discussion needs to continue for understanding.

Step 4:  Box the keywords

Be careful with keywords in word problems – they can be tricky! Some keywords have multiple meanings and can represent different operations. To solve the problem correctly, students must understand the context.

It’s normal for students to ask for hints and clues when identifying the necessary operation(s). However, it’s important to let them struggle a bit to boost perseverance and critical thinking skills.

Step 5:  Eliminate unnecessary information

This step requires practice because students often struggle with eliminating unnecessary information. I ask students to draw one line through the information so they can still read what they crossed out. Otherwise, students may cross out needed information and then erase so hard they tear the paper.

Some students eliminate too much, while others think everything is necessary. This step takes time and really tests their comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Step 6:  Draw a picture

Drawing a picture or representing the problem with a table, array, or tally marks helps students visualize the problem. Concrete manipulatives are also helpful and should be available to students who need to hold or manipulate items.

Quick sketches or other visual aids like tables, arrays, or tally marks are good enough. Remind them not to get too caught up in drawing a masterpiece and lose focus.

Step 7:  Determine if the problem is multi-step

Students can feel confused when encountering multi-step problems. Numbering the steps by writing a 1, 2, 3, etc., near the first step of the problem helps them stay organized.

You may also have to encourage students to keep working through the problem. Often students complete only one step and expect to be finished.

It’s essential to emphasize that as they progress, their problems become more challenging, and they’ll have more than one step.

Step 8: Solve

Finally, students must do the actual calculations to solve the problem.

It’s a lot to hand, but you can read and learn more below.

Want to learn more about CUBES Math Word Problem Strategy?

Click HERE to read another blog post about CUBES and CUBED posters and resources.

The more you explore, the more beneficial it will be!

Interested in additional CUBES Math Word Problem Strategy resources? Visit our Teachers Pay Teachers store for more options.

Maybe much of this is a simple review for you, but I hope that maybe there was even one little idea that got you thinking a bit more deeply about word problems in your own classroom.  

**There are other strategies and sets out there similar to these posters. Still, I love the CUBED (with the letter “D”) strategy best because of the emphasis on Common Core to have students represent math problems with pictures or drawings (Drawings = D in the CUBED strategy).

Discover how effective graph paper for addition and subtraction practice can be.

This proven method ensures students’ work remains neat and organized, leading to improved accuracy. These sets are a win-win for both students and educators!

Hi, I’m Jules

Find it fast, browse the blog, visit my teachers pay teachers shop.

Mastering Word Problems: The Power of the CUBES Math Strategy

What is the cubes math strategy.

• C – Circle the numbers : Highlight all numbers to understand the problem’s quantitative elements.
• U – Underline the question : Clearly identify what the problem is asking.
• B – Box the keywords : Keywords indicate the necessary math operations. Recognizing these is crucial.
• E – Eliminate unnecessary information : Discard distractions to focus solely on the relevant data.
• S – Solve and check : Work through the problem and subsequently review the solution to ensure its accuracy.

Benefits of Using the CUBES Math Strategy

• Improving comprehension : Simplifying complex problems makes them less overwhelming.
• Enhancing focus : It helps students concentrate on essential elements, streamlining the solving process.
• Building confidence : With a clear approach, students feel more confident in their problem-solving abilities.

Incorporating VertexMathematics to Enhance the CUBES Strategy

• Interactive Practice Problems : Our platform offers tailored problems that align with the CUBES strategy across different grades.
• Instant Feedback and Guidance : As students work through problems, they receive immediate feedback, enabling them to correct mistakes promptly.
• Progress Tracking : This feature allows educators and parents to keep track of students’ progress, ensuring continuous improvement.

Explore Our Resources

Conclusion: transform math learning with cubes and vertexmathematics, similar posts.

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CUBES Math Strategy Posters: Solve Word Problems Like a Pro!

It’s important for students to have a clear strategy for approaching story problems.   The CUBES method gives students an easy-to-use, step-by-step tool to understand and solve word problems. Each letter in the acronym “CUBES” represents a step that students will follow to work through the problem.

While CUBES isn’t the only  problem-solving strategy  available, it is effective and worth teaching to your students. I recommend teaching your students multiple different problem-solving approaches, and allowing them to choose their favorite method. Introducing this element of choice to your class can improve their engagement while encouraging them to  solve word problems like pros !

In this blog post, I’ll guide you through each step of the CUBES strategy. Plus, did you know you can get a set of adorable  CUBES Posters for FREE from my TPT Store ? Click the button below to check them out!

Finding Important Information in Story Problems with the CUBES Strategy

C- Circle the Numbers

For this first step of the CUBES strategy, students will need to circle the numbers in the word problem. This helps draw attention and focus to the numbers that students will need to do some sort of computation with.

U – Underline the Question

The second step is to  underline the question  that the story problem is asking students to solve. At this point, you should teach your students to stop and think about what the question is asking them to do. Is it an addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division problem?

B – Box the Important Words

Next, students will draw a box around words that are important. These are words that may give students clues about how to solve the story problem.

PLEASE NOTE :  The word “more” does not mean it is an addition problem every time. Teaching “keywords” is misleading, confuses students, and does not promote critical thinking. For more about the pitfalls of “keywords,”  please read this article .

Eliminating Extra Info in Word Problems with CUBES

E – Eliminate & Evaluate

The fourth step is to eliminate unnecessary information (if any). This requires students to think about what they actually need to solve the problem. Students can draw a single line through words that are not needed.

For the Evaluation piece, students can write an equation to show their plan for solving the problem.

CUBES: Solving the Word Problem & Checking Your Work!

S – Solve & Check!

The final step of CUBES is where students will follow through with their plan and perform the computations while showing all of their work to solve the word problem. This could include using  methods  like a number line, the standard algorithm, tens frames, hundreds chart, drawing a picture, and more.

To check their answer, you can have students solve the equation using a different method than the first one they chose. For example, if they originally solved the problem using a number line, then they could also draw a picture to check themselves.

If you’re looking for daily word problems to help your students practice problem-solving,  click here to join my email list for a free sample of Daily Word Problem Warm-Ups !

Cracking the Code: CUBES Math Strategy Posters for Word Problems

CUBES in an effective and memorable strategy for solving word problems in elementary school. Click here to grab your FREE copy of these CUBES Posters / Anchor Charts to hang in your classroom all year long!

Do you have a favorite word problem solving strategy? Share your tips with us in the comments!

If you’d like to save these CUBES posters for later on Pinterest, pin the images below.

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