Word problems get harder as pupils move up to Primary 5 and 6. Proper application of Maths concepts becomes even more critical to solving word problems. Pupils need to be able to recognise the underlying concepts that a word problem is testing and correctly pick out the essential information within the question. As a baseline, every pupil must know the following 3 concepts: Constant Total, Constant Difference and Constant Identity.
<h4>Concept #1: Constant Total</h4>
The principle of this concept is that the total quantity in the question needs to remain unchanged. For example, Person A can transfer a quantity to Person B or vice versa, but neither of these actions will change the total quantity in the question.
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For a video explanation of a P6 question on Constant Total, click <a href="http://www.literacyplus.com.sg/maths-video-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<h4>Concept #2: Constant Difference</h4>
For this concept to be applicable, an equal quantity needs to be added or taken away from the variables in the question. This ensures that the difference between the 2 variables remains unchanged. Hence the name Constant Difference.
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If your child is in Primary 4, models can be a useful visual tool to help illustrate this concept. For a video explanation on Constant Difference using models, click <a href="http://www.literacyplus.com.sg/maths-video-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<h4>Concept #3: Constant Identity</h4>
What characterises this concept is that the quantity of one variable must remain the same. In other words, there must neither be an increase nor a decrease in the quantity of that one variable.
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For a video explanation on a Constant Identity question, click <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="http://www.literacyplus.com.sg/maths-video-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<h4>2019 June Maths Camps</h4>
Help your child build the right skills and develop his/her confidence in solving word problems at our June Maths Camps. To drop us an enquiry, click <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="http://www.literacyplus.com.sg/contact/enquiry-centre-holiday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
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