Mrs. Aguirre's 3rd Grade Classroom

The strategy of working backward applies to only some types of word problems. These state the end results and students must find the total number. In order to solve these word problems, students have to work backward by thinking through the correct sequence of events. The strategy of working backward allows students to use their logical reasoning and sequencing to find the answers.

Example: Sarah has a piece of ribbon. She cuts it into 4 equal parts. Then she cuts each part into 3 smaller pieces. If the length of each small piece is 2 inches long, how long is the piece of ribbon?

3 x 2 = 6                     6 x 4 = 24             The ribbon is 24 inches long.