Why Most Students Struggle to Solve Problem Sums
Before we get into the solution, let’s be honest about what’s actually happening when a child “can’t do problem sums.”
In most cases, it’s not that they don’t know the maths. It’s that they don’t know how to read and digest the question. They skim it, spot a few numbers, pick an operation and guess. Sometimes they get lucky but usually, they don’t.
Other common reasons students struggle when it comes to Problem Sums:
- They don’t read the question all the way through as the length feels overwhelming
- They skip the thinking process and jump straight to working
- They freeze under exam pressure, forgetting methods they actually know
- They lose marks on units or transfer errors etc.
Sound familiar? Not to worry, there is a step-by-step approach that directly solves every one of these problems – the S.O.L.VE. technique!
Table of Contents
The S.O.L.VE. Technique: How to Solve Any Problem Sum Systematically
Think of it like being a detective! You gather clues, build evidence, find the key that unlocks the answer, then confirm you’re solving for the right thing.
Let’s break each step down and then see how to apply it to real problem sum examples at different levels.
The S.O.L.VE. technique is a 4-step framework designed to guide students through any primary school maths problem sum — from straightforward word problems to complex ratio questions.
The S.O.L.VE. Technique: Step by Step
Step 1: S — Search for Clues
Read the question sentence by sentence. As you read each sentence, identify and highlight the important information: names, quantities, relationships and comparison words like “twice”, “more than”, “equal to”, “ratio”.
Write these clues down or annotate them directly on the question. Don’t hold them in your head.
Key words to search for:
Step 2: O — Obtain the Evidence
Once you have your clues, draw the model or table that represents them. This is where you translate the language of the question into a visual structure — a bar model, a fraction model, or a tic-tac-toe ratio table.
Step 3: L — Locate the Key
Every problem sum has a “key” (typically the value of one unit in your model). Once you find it, you can calculate anything else the question asks for.
This is usually done by taking the known actual value and dividing it by the number of units it represents.
Step 4: VE — solVE the Mystery By Reading the Question Again
Before you write your final answer, re-read exactly what the question is asking for. This is the most skipped step and also the most costly mistake.
The question might ask for the value at the end, not at the start. It might ask for the difference between two groups, not the total.
Reading the question again takes five seconds and prevents a very avoidable mistake.
S.O.L.VE. in Action: 3 Worked Examples
P4 Example — Bar Model with Multiple Comparisons
P5 Example — Equal Fractions
P6 Example — Ratio with One Side Unchanged
Top Mistakes Students Make (And How To Fix Them With S.O.L.VE.)
Tips for Parents: How to Support Your Child at Home
Don’t just highlight the wrong answer but find the wrong step too. When your child makes an error, work through the S.O.L.VE. steps together and identify exactly which step broke down.
Was it that they misread a clue? Drew the wrong model? Found the right key but answered the wrong question?
Targeted feedback is far more effective than "try again."
Encourage note-taking on the question. Many children are reluctant to write on the question paper during practice. Encourage them to annotate freely by underlining clue words, writing unit labels and circling the final question. This habit is a major advantage under exam conditions.
Don’t rush the model-drawing stage! If your child skips straight to calculation, gently bring them back to Step ‘O’. A well-drawn model takes one extra minute and dramatically reduces errors.
Watch our Math Podcast on S.O.L.VE. answering technique below:
Ready to Give Your Child the Support They Need?
If you’d like your child to practise the S.O.L.VE. technique with proper guidance, we’d love to help.
At Blue Tree, our primary maths classes are built around this exact 4-step framework so that every student has a reliable process they can fall back on, even under exam pressure.
Book a trial class today and let’s take that first step together. 💙
