Word Problem Relay

Farewell Friday

The highlight of this week was the first Mathletes meeting. The kids completed a word problem "relay race" which was so much fun.

I divided them into 3 groups and gave them one word problem printed on a strip of card stock. When each team thought they had the correct answer, they wrote it on the paper and showed it to me. If they were correct, I gave them the next word problem. If they were not correct they kept trying until they found the answer. There were five word problems in all.

On each word problem card, I also wrote one letter of a clue word. I made sure to hand the cards out in an order that the word would be scrambled. Once all of the problems were solved and all cards obtained, they had to arrange the letters to spell the clue word. It was "piano" the place where I had hidden bags of candy for them.

Everyone worked furiously to solve their problems and felt well-rewarded when they found their goody bags under the piano bench. Who knew word problems could be so much fun and so rewarding?!