📖 Topics & explainers · 5 min read
Addition and subtraction word problems: how Class 3 children crack them
A parent-friendly explainer of Class 3 word problems — how to turn a story into a sum, worked examples, and the two-step trap in SOF IMO papers.
A word problem is a little story that hides a sum. The arithmetic in Class 3 word problems is rarely hard — the real work is reading the story, deciding whether to add or subtract, and spotting when the answer needs two steps instead of one. That reading step is exactly what olympiad papers reward.
The idea in one minute
- Read the story twice. First for what happens, then for the numbers.
- Words like altogether, in total and more usually signal addition.
- Words like left, remaining and fewer usually signal subtraction — but the story matters more than the keyword.
- Ask at the end: does my answer make sense? If someone spends money, they should have less, not more.
✏️ Warm-up: putting together
Riya had 245 stickers. Her friend gave her 132 more. How many stickers does Riya have now?
- A377
- B367
- C387
- D113
Show the answerAnswer: 377
Answer: 377. Riya’s stickers are being put together, so add: 245 + 132. Ones: 5 + 2 = 7. Tens: 4 + 3 = 7. Hundreds: 2 + 1 = 3. That gives 377. The option 113 is the trap for a child who subtracts out of habit.
✏️ Level up: finding the missing part
A school has 425 children. 178 of them are boys. How many girls are there?
- A247
- B257
- C253
- D347
Show the answerAnswer: 247
Answer: 247. The whole is 425 and one part is 178, so subtract to find the other part: 425 − 178. Ones: 5 − 8 needs borrowing, 15 − 8 = 7. Tens: after borrowing, 11 − 7 = 4. Hundreds: 3 − 1 = 2. So there are 247 girls. Check: 247 + 178 = 425.
✏️ Olympiad twist: two steps, not one
Aman had 500 rupees. He bought a book for 165 rupees and a pen for 48 rupees. How much money does he have left?
- A287 rupees
- B297 rupees
- C335 rupees
- D213 rupees
Show the answerAnswer: 287 rupees
Answer: 287 rupees. First find the total spent: 165 + 48 = 213 rupees. Then subtract from what he had: 500 − 213 = 287 rupees. The trap options are the half-finished answers: 335 is what remains after only the book, and 213 is the amount spent — a child who stops after one step picks one of these.
LittleMathematicians’s Class 3 Addition & Subtraction topic builds up to exactly these problems: early levels practise the arithmetic, and higher levels mix in two-step stories as your child’s mastery grows. It is free during early access, so a ten-minute session is an easy way to start.
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Adaptive levels, exam-pattern mocks and progress you can see — free during early access.
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